Fixing Your Band’s Housing Crisis

Posted on March 4, 2014 by andrewl

This is the second in a three-part series on First Nations Housing.

Housing is the toughest government program that First Nations oversee. The reason is simple: First Nations are expected to collect monthly rents from their own relatives.
Worse, the Band is responsible for all rents that are not paid by delinquent tenants. This formula has spelled disaster for many First Nations. Some Bands have lost millions because of unpaid rent. For many Bands, there seems to be no end in sight to their losses.

A few First Nations have found a way out of this mess. They have pulled themselves out from massive debts and now operate decent housing programs. There is a common theme to their turnaround stories. Here are the five biggest housing mistakes that First Nations make—and the solutions to overcome these mistakes.

Mistake 1: Lack of Political Will to Evict

Some band members don’t pay their rent and some abuse their neighbours. Worse, some members get involved in illegal activities that put other community members at risk. When First Nations let problem tenants get away with bad behaviour, they send a clear message: It’s okay to behave irresponsibly.

When dealing with persistently bad tenants, the only option left to Councils is eviction. Yet many Councils fail to pull that trigger. Sometimes it’s because of fear. Sometimes it’s because the Council has too soft a heart. The result is the same: the Band incurs major losses.

Create political will by pressing Council to evict bad tenants and by not defending bad tenants—even if they are close friends or relatives. Ultimately, let everyone know the actual amount that the band loses every year from lost housing income. In effect, show that the benefit to solving this problem greatly outweighs the price.

Mistake 2: Poor Policy Development

First and foremost, housing policies are valuable only if they are used. So, don’t waste money creating policies if you’re not fully committed to using them. This may seem obvious. However, I have seen far too may communities get into a housing crisis because they didn’t follow their policies.

Second, developing housing policies can get bogged down, sometimes for years. To prevent this from occurring, assign the right person the task of developing housing policy. A good housing policy development process shouldn’t take more than a few months from start to finish.Finally, make sure that your policies are clearly understood by all. This includes Council and community members, who often need several rounds of consultations and messaging. It is much better to over-communicate than under-communicate your pending housing policy changes.

Mistake 3: Poor Governance Structure

Role clarity is a critical part of governance structure. Make sure that the roles of Council and the housing committee are clear and distinct.

Poor governance structure exists when Council overrules its housing staff, even though the staff followed housing policies.

Poor governance structure exists when the housing committee has lots of meetings but gets little done.

Speaking of housing committees, they are a mixed bag. If they are set up properly and have decent committee members they can serve an excellent purpose. But I have seen far too many that were either poorly structured or had poorly trained committee members.
There is no cookie cutter governance model for First Nations housing. Just be sure that roles are clear and that good people are chosen for key positions.

Mistake 4: Hiring and Keeping the Wrong Staff

Housing officers must have a wide range of skill sets. They have to be organized, literate, good with numbers, good with people and good at problem solving.
That’s a tall order to ask, especially when these positions don’t typically command big salaries (especially with small bands, which have correspondingly small budgets to work with).

If I had to choose one quality for a housing manager it would be that the person be organized. A second quality is to have good people skills. The housing manager needs to be able to work with politicized Councils, problem tenants and cagy contractors. A reasonably mature, organized person is a necessity for any First Nations housing office.

Any hope of getting your housing mess turned around is virtually impossible without a strong housing manager.

Mistake 5: Poor Record Keeping

Filing systems and record keeping are fairly simple endeavours, if they are properly set up and maintained. Each file should contain the tenant’s application, the rental agreement, the forms that confirm rental amount and a record of the tenant’s payments.

The record of payment is the most important record to maintain. Not having it can lead to hefty arrears and huge losses for the Band.

Indeed, if you take a look at why most First Nations get into housing trouble, it often starts with poor record keeping.

For example, if a tenant fails to pay his rent and doesn’t get any notice about it (because of poor record keeping), he soon learns that not paying rent is acceptable.

Staying on top of your rental income starts with good information. And that means keeping good, accurate records of your housing files.

Summary

Make any of these five mistakes and you are setting your Band up for housing failure. Alternatively, here are five steps to creating a successful First Nation housing operation:

Set Up an Effective Governance Structure
Set Up a Good Information System
Hire the Right Staff
Have Good Policies in Place; Use Them
Evict Bad Tenants

Andrew Leach, MBA, is a successful First Nation management consultant specializing in turning messy situations into prosperous ones. Visit his website at www.andrewleach.com or drop him an email at .

Why First Nations Housing is so Messed Up

Posted on March 4, 2014 by andrewl

A Three-Part Series by Andrew Leach, MBA

Download Printable PDF

In this three-part series, I will clearly show what must be done to address Canada’s on-reserve housing crisis.

In this first article, I will compare Canada with the Native American Housing experience.
Last year, I had the tremendous honour and opportunity to organize the World Indigenous Housing Conference held in Vancouver, Canada. As the lead organizer, I worked closely with governments and indigenous leaders in Canada, the United States, Australia and New Zealand. I visited many indigenous communities in each country, examining their housing stock and programs.

I learned a lot from this experience. Probably the most important thing was that there is a direct relationship between the state of our housing and the level of control that we have over it.

It’s really that simple. The horrible conditions that we see on the reserve are a symptom of the root problem: lack of control over our housing affairs.

In Canada, First Nations face a choking bureaucracy—mostly CMHC (Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation)—that is ill-equipped and not structured to support the complex issues facing on-reserve housing.

To illustrate the linkage between autonomy and performance, let’s look at our neighbours, the United States, and their experience with Native American housing.

In the United States, the Native American Housing and Self Determination Act (NAHASDA) was passed in 1996 and has since achieved excellent results. Prior to NAHASDA, United States tribal housing was much like Canada’s: widespread poverty, horrible living conditions and massive underdevelopment.

But the enactment of NAHASDA led to a remarkable turnaround in the Native American housing sector. With greater autonomy—through less restrictive block funding that is controlled and distributed by Native Americans—today’s tribal homes are in far better shape. Today, three times as many homes are being planned and built on tribal lands. Furthermore, tribal members give an 87% approval rating to the NAHASDA. The Act has also led to improved Tribal-US government relations, with respect to Indian housing.
NAHASDA is widely considered a success and was reauthorized in 2001 and 2008.
The most important aspect of NAHASDHA is that it allows each US Tribe to determine its own housing needs and to act on those needs in a manner that they know will work best for them.

Obviously, there is ample precedence for devolving programs from the Canadian government to First Nations. The recent transfer of British Columbia’s entire First Nations health portfolio is one example.

Thus, Canada needs to take a closer look at the Native American Housing model. And let’s not forget what underpins that model; it’s called a “Self-Determination” act for good reason.

Even if the Canadian government suddenly shifted its policy in First Nation Housing, it would take years to get this issue turned around and headed in the right direction. In the meantime, many First Nation families are suffering from depressing, unacceptable living conditions.

In addition to sweeping changes needed in the government-First Nations housing relationship, we must establish interim measures to help alleviate this crisis. I cover this in my next two articles.

This article was for national housing leaders and those who can influence them.
In my next article, I will write to First Nation community leaders, on what they must do to make the best of a bad situation. My final article in this series will be for First Nation homeowners and tenants.

Managing Your Consultants

Posted on November 19, 2013 by andrewl

By Andrew Leach, MBA

Download Printable PDF

During the last ten years, I have done contract work for hundreds of organizations across Canada and the United States. During this time, I’ve come across a lot of consultants: a few good ones, most decent, and some terrible ones. This article offers three tips to manage your consultants and get value for the money you spend on them.

Get ‘em In, Get ‘em Out

First, determine if you really need a consultant. Generally, organizations need to hire a consultant for one of three reasons:

She has the expertise you need
He has the time and you don’t
She is independent and can objectively evaluate a sensitive, internal issue

If you think you need a consultant, getting one is fairly easy. Getting someone out can be a bit trickier. One way is to establish expected deliverables with all of your consultants in a signed contract.

And beware of the consultant who becomes a “jack of all trades” for your organization. He’s the planner, organizer, proposal writer, management guru, and trainer. These consultants end up becoming too dependent upon you and vice versa, which is not an effective way to run business.

So remember GIGO: “Get ’em In, Get ’em Out.”

Establish Clear Policies

The main reason for establishing policies is to provide consistency for routine activities like hiring consultants. Two things can go wrong with written policies:

Your policies are not adhered to
Your policies have loopholes

Problem #1: If your present policies are not being adhered to, political will is required to correct this situation. Without the political will to enforce policies, your policies are worthless.

The biggest problem occurs when a high-ranking leader disregards the contracting out policy. For example, a senior manager hires her preferred consultant for a large contract without putting the work out to tender, an act that may breach the organization’s tendering policy. This is a delicate situation that requires tact and perseverance. In a nutshell, you need everyone to agree to the same set of rules.

Problem #2: If your policies are vague and filled with loopholes, you need to update them. Look at your history with consultants when updating the contracting policy. Ask yourself, “What have we done in past with consultants that hasn’t worked well for us?” Create new policies to address these specific issues.

In short, have good policies and make sure you stick to them.

Be Proactive with Fees

Finally, make sure you monitor your consultant’s fees. Be clear about price (including expenses) before you commit to anything.

Also, don’t be shy to question prices. “How did you come up with that figure?” “What can we do to get this proposal within our budget?” In short, keep consultants focused on deliverables, so they provide solid, short-term support.

Finally, without a signed contract, the consultant potentially has carte blanche on what he will bill you. So make sure you develop a contract system for all of your consultants. Contract templates are easy to develop and go a long way to keeping consulting fees in line.

Summary

Most consultants can provide needed support, if you manage them properly. If you don’t, expect problems to arise. Indeed, good consulting work is often the result of both the consultant and client doing their jobs. And for you, the client, that means managing your consultant.

Andrew Leach is from the St’at’imc Nation (Lillooet, BC) and has a Master’s degree in Business Administration (MBA). He also operates a successful management consulting business (www.andrewleach.com), and welcomes feedback to his articles. Email or call him at 604.868.4004.

A Brief History of Management

Posted on November 12, 2013 by andrewl

By Andrew Leach, MBA

Download Printable PDF

Did you know the study of management has been around for at least 2500 years? In this article, I will briefly discuss the history of management and, as usual, will offer a First Nations perspective on this important topic.

About 2500 years ago, a Chinese general named Sun Tzu, wrote an astounding piece of work “The Art of War.” In his book, Sun Tzu acknowledged the need for inter-organizational communications, hierarchy and staff planning.

A little later, between 400-360 BC, Socrates and Aristotle, two Greek philosophers, wrote about the principles of management and the nature of executive power.

In the Middle East, around 1300 AD, ibn Taymiyyah outlined an approach to administration using the scientific method in “The Principles of Religious Government.”

In North America, for thousands of years, First Nations and Native Americans used management principles and concepts in many areas, including forestry, fisheries, land use and government. For example, the Potlatch system required a complex set of management tools, including planning, organizing, monitoring, and regulating.

Because First Nations had oral cultures, our management principles were passed down from generation to generation orally and through socialization, using ceremonies, for example.

Later, in 1532, Machiavelli, an Italian, wrote “The Prince,” a bold piece of work that discussed the practical use of power. The term “Machiavellian” is used today to describe a ruthless way to get and keep power.

In the 1700s, the Industrial Revolution started. With the explosion of industry, came a wave of new management writers, mostly from Europe and the United States. The basis for their works is largely rooted in ancient Western thinking. Generally speaking, Western thought assumes we can control the world through reasoning and science. This is known as the “classic” management view.

By the 1900s, people started seeing the limitations of classic management thinking. Management based solely on reasoning and science was missing a critical ingredient: the human factor. Thus, by the 1950s, management concepts like Maslow’s hierarchy of basic human needs were popping up.

By the 1980s, Americans started examining Japan’s approach to management. Japan is a fascinating case study in “how to build an economy.” After being totally devastated by World War II, Japan recovered and quickly grew into a leading industrial power. By the late 1980s, 53 of the top 100 companies in the world were Japanese.

The Americans learned very quickly that Japanese management had a different way of working. Specifically, the Japanese emphasize teamwork and employee development, and give workers an environment to do quality work.

Since the 1980s, many North American companies have tried to incorporate various Japanese management principles. However, one challenge to this approach is that Japanese and Western cultures are, in many respects, fundamentally different. The 1980s movie Gung-Ho dramatized the challenges of blending Eastern and Western cultures into a single company.

In comparing Eastern, Western and Native American thought, it is clear that Eastern concepts are much more compatible with First Nations principles. For example, Eastern principles emphasize the importance of relationships and the interconnectedness of all things.

Interestingly, many of today’s leading Western writers are pushing for a more non-Western approach to management. For example, in his bestseller “The Fifth Discipline,” Peter Senge advocates for a complete change in Western managerial thinking. He calls this new worldview systems thinking, which sounds like a First Nations concept, if you ask me!

There are other signs that Western companies are trying to become more holistic. Hot topics in management today include concepts like 360-degree feedback, servant-leadership, social capital, and spirituality in the workforce. I believe the rising interest in these kinds of topics signifies that the West wants a more meaningful approach to work and management.

Fitting many Western management concepts into First Nations organizations is like “trying to fit a square peg into a round hole.” In examining the history of management, three things are apparent:

All cultures have developed their own management principles based on their own worldview.
The First Nations worldview is fundamentally different than the Western worldview.
First Nations today need to develop their own explicit management principles, consistent with their own worldview.

Andrew Leach is from the St’at’imc Nation (Lillooet, BC) and has a Master’s degree in Business Administration (MBA). He also operates a successful management consulting business (www.andrewleach.com), and welcomes feedback to his articles. Email or call him at 604.868.4004.

Board of Directors Responsibilities

Posted on November 5, 2013 by andrewl

By Andrew Leach, MBA

Download Printable PDF

Many Aboriginal communities and organizations create a Board of Directors to govern their work. In this article, I describe the five most important responsibilities for Boards, based on research and my frontline experience with Aboriginal Boards.

Responsibility #1: Clearly Understand Your Purpose

First and foremost, Boards need a clear purpose to give the organization focus and direction. Without a clear purpose, Boards tend to wander.

Unfortunately, we’ve all seen weak mission statements that are merely a string of various ideas. Instead, determine your organization’s reason for being to produce a strong mission statement. Develop your mission statement to answer the question “Why are we here?” and use skilled editing. Don’t be hesitant to update the mission statement, if changes in your mandate warrant it.

Responsibility #2: Hire the Best

Board work can be very rewarding if you have the right people working for you. But not having the right talent, especially at the top, will make Board work very cumbersome. Keep in mind the Board’s selection of a senior manager is probably the most important decision it will make.

Find someone with a track record of executing organizational plans. Don’t get too caught up in someone’s academic background. Having a degree doesn’t mean someone can lead, manage or execute; some people are good at school but not managing.

Responsibility #3: Develop Short-term Goals

After you’ve hired your talent, stay focused on your mission (see #1, above). Develop short-term goals to achieve your purpose. Ask yourselves, “What do we want to accomplish this year?”

A one-year plan should detail specific tasks you want accomplished, and identify people to carry out tasks and achieve implementation within timelines. The Board can also use this plan to monitor the senior manager’s activities and performance.

Your short-term objectives should align with your long-term strategy. This statement may seem obvious. But many organizations start out in one direction and end up heading in another. One reason is that some organizations go after government funding that is not exactly “up their alley.” As a result, these groups can end up serving funding agents more than their own mission.

Responsibility #4: Monitor Progress

If you have hired people to carry out your work, you need to ensure they are heading in the right direction. The best way to monitor progress is by having a clear, constructive relationship with your senior manager.

Also hold regular Board meetings to chart your progress, and ensure Board meetings are properly structured to ensure everyone’s time is well spent.

Responsibility #5: Assess Your Own Performance

Finally, Boards need to evaluate their own performance. This step is critical to review and correct course wherever necessary. These evaluations are often done during retreats or weekend meetings. It may be beneficial to have an outsider facilitate such a session.

Other evaluations are more comprehensive and may entail site visits, personal interviews, and reviewing financial statements or other reports. Like the retreats, organizational reviews may require the assistance of outside support.

Summary

Undoubtedly, Boards do more than the steps outlined above. Nevertheless, these steps are crucial and should take up the bulk of a Board’s time and resources.

These guidelines can also be used for other governing entities, such as elected councils. However, rather than a mission, a Frist Nations Council should develop a mandate for the duration of its term.

The bottom line is that governing entities should have a solid sense of where they are, where they want to go, and how they are going to get there.

Andrew Leach is from the St’at’imc Nation (Lillooet, BC) and has a Master’s degree in Business Administration (MBA). He also operates a successful management consulting business (www.andrewleach.com), and welcomes feedback to his articles. Email or call him at 604.868.4004.

Developing Your Human Resources Capacity

Posted on October 29, 2013 by andrewl

by Andrew Leach, MBA

Download Printable PDF

Does your organization lack qualified personnel? Here are three practical tips to develop human resources (HR) capacity.

Tip #1: Get Good Managers

Having good managers makes everyone’s job easier. Not having them will lead to lots of problems. So, first and foremost, hire good managers.

Finding good managers is easier said than done. It involves many steps: recruiting, screening, interviewing, selecting and hiring. And each step has potential pitfalls. For example, recruiting from too shallow a pool and developing poor interview questions are two common mistakes employers make.

Are you in a situation where you feel stuck with a few weak managers or employees? If so, keep reading the next two steps below.

Tip #2: Combine Training and Work

One common mistake is to throw lots of money into training and expect to solve all of your HR problems. Remember training is the start, not the finish. In reality, most people develop skills best though a combination of training and practical experience. And the best place to develop practical experience is on the job.

For example, consider the employee who just completed introductory supervisor training. Here are some possible on-the-job projects that could complement her training:

Review and make recommendations on updating your personnel policy
Develop and participate in an employee evaluation
Participate in recruiting, hiring and orienting a new employee

Maybe you don’t have any new projects for staff to work on. Not a problem. Create a project! The project should be challenging, doable and add value to your organization. For example, don’t create a project that only involves inputting data for three weeks straight. Rather, develop on-the-job projects that will develop a variety of skills.

Tip #3: Evaluate, Evaluate, Evaluate!

Evaluating human resources is often extremely challenging, especially for Aboriginal organizations. This is because Aboriginals often have close personal relations with their coworkers. For example, in many Band offices it is not uncommon to have a close relative as your boss or subordinate. Can you imagine trying to evaluate or discipline your spouse, and then going home together? Good luck!

My experience is that many Band managers dread conducting employee evaluations. However, by not conducting evaluations, supervisors miss an excellent opportunity to develop HR capacity.

There are a variety of employee evaluation tools for supervisors. Some may be useful; others are not. Remember, any evaluation system is only as good as the people who execute it. So make sure your supervisors have the capacity to evaluate.

In summary, developing human resource capacity is probably the most important job facing Aboriginal leaders and managers. To be successful, you need to have both good HR systems and good people.

Andrew Leach is from the St’at’imc Nation (Lillooet, BC) and has a Master’s degree in Business Administration (MBA). He also operates a successful management consulting business (www.andrewleach.com), and welcomes feedback to his articles. Email or call him at 604.868.4004.

5 Important Responsibilities of Chief and Council

Posted on October 22, 2013 by andrewl

By Andrew Leach, MBA

Download Printable PDF

To help First Nations strengthen their leadership and operations, I describe the five most important responsibilities of a Chief and Council in this article, based on research and my work with more than a hundred First Nations Councils.

Responsibility #1: Set Concrete Goals

An unfocused First Nations Council makes poorly informed and costly decisions. So get focused early on in your mandate.

To stay focused, new councils must develop a plan with clear, specific goals, and with input from senior management. Your plan should outline what will be accomplished during specific time frames (i.e. one to five years). Usually, your senior manager will be responsible for executing and reporting progress on the plan.

Responsibility #2: Organize Yourselves

Some First Nations councils are comprised solely of volunteers, others have paid staff positions, and some have the Chief as the only paid council position. In addition, many councils use a portfolio system.

All of these approaches are examples of how council can organize itself. Each approach has strengths and weaknesses. Regardless of the approach used, your community should get good value for council costs.

The bottom line is to structure council so resources are used effectively. One way is to develop a detailed Leadership Policy Manual to govern all council activities.

Responsibility #3: Hire Excellent Managers

Good planning can go only so far. Ultimately, you also need good people to execute your plans. Hiring the right people is one of the most important decisions a council makes. Indeed, you cannot afford to choose second-best employees for key positions. Top-notch employees may cost more but will be worth the investment in the long run.

Responsibility #4: Hold Productive Meetings

One of the most common complaints I hear about is long, unproductive council meetings, with people playing a variety of roles: endless talker, complainer, bully and/or emotional wreck.

Well organized council meetings require a strong but respectful chairperson and a structured approach to agenda development and decision making.

In short, make an agenda, have participatory input into discussions, decide on an action, then make it so.

Responsibility #5: Assess Your Performance

Finally, council should objectively evaluate its own performance. Council self-assessments provide an opportunity to review and make adjustments wherever necessary. Often these evaluations are done during retreats or similar meetings; using an external facilitator can help ensure these forums are constructive and productive.

Summary

Undoubtedly, First Nations councils undertake more responsibilities than described in this article, but these five are critical. If you perform these tasks well, you’re ahead of the pack.

Andrew Leach is from the St’at’imc Nation (Lillooet, BC) and has a Master’s degree in Business Administration (MBA). He also operates a successful management consulting business (www.andrewleach.com), and welcomes feedback to his articles. Email or call him at 604.868.4004.

Core Skills of Managing

Posted on October 15, 2013 by andrewl

By Andrew Leach, MBA

Download Printable PDF

Today’s First Nations manager must wear many hats: part-time planner, part-time accountant, part-time coach … you name it! This article examines the three core skills of strong managers: technical, people and conceptual expertise.

Technical Skills

Technical skills require a specialized and widely accepted body of knowledge. For example, engineers, mechanics, and computer programmers each possess a special kind of technical skill. Here are three specific technical skills to look for in a manager:

For starters, a skilled manager needs financial skills, including the ability to budget, manage cash flow, and understand financial statements. Having strong financial skills will greatly enhance a manager’s ability to “run a tight ship.” Not having these skills can lead to lots of trouble!

Another important technical skill is writing, especially report and proposal writing. Managers should be able to write both well and quickly. For example, it shouldn’t take a manager very long to compose a memo or short report.

Finally, having computer skills is an absolute must for today’s senior managers. While they don’t need to be computer wizards, they should at least be comfortable with word processing, spreadsheets, and using the Internet.

Does your manager have solid technical skills? In answering this question, look at his concrete skill sets. Can she interpret financial statements? Can he write proposals and reports? Is she fairly comfortable using computer programs?

People Skills

People skills are called “soft skills” because they can be difficult to evaluate and measure. Good people skills include the ability to communicate clearly, be assertive (not passive or aggressive), and be able to gain the respect and support of key staff.

Studies show that managers with good people skills are emotionally mature and relate well with others. They have a good sense of boundaries and are open to self-improvement.

At one time, Ivy League business schools didn’t emphasize teaching people skills. However, industry leaders started complaining, saying these schools were creating managers who could crunch numbers but couldn’t work with others. In response, many prestigious schools redesigned their programs to include team building and interpersonal communications. Today, most business and management schools offer a portion of soft skills training.

Does your manager have good people skills? To answer this, look at his history with handling interpersonal conflict. Does she have the respect of her peers? His subordinates? Her bosses?

Conceptual Skills

While technical and people skills are required at all organizational levels, senior managers especially need well-honed conceptual skills, which include the ability to plan and strategize.

In essence, this means having the ability to see how your organization fits within the community’s social, political and economic structures. Having good conceptual skills means you can see the big picture and still pay attention to important details. Like a skilled chess player, conceptualizers can forecast several moves ahead and still make the right moves now.

Does your senior manager have well-rounded conceptual skills? To help answer this, consider his ability to plan and strategize. Can she create and communicate a vision? Does he have focus? Above all else, is she able to execute?

If you can find a manager with an abundance of these skills, count your blessings! More likely, however, he may be lacking a little in one of these areas. That’s okay and to be expected. Technical skills can be developed with a combination of formal training and on-the job experience. People and conceptual skills, however, will probably take more time and resources to develop. Regardless of your situation, make sure you hire and retain senior managers who have the capacity to develop these three essential skills.

Dealing with Office Politics

Posted on October 8, 2013 by andrewl

By Andrew Leach, MBA

A recent study found non-Aboriginal executives spend as much as 20% of their time dealing with office politics. For executives in First Nations organizations, I suspect the percentage is much higher. In this article, I will examine office politics, particularly as the issue relates to First Nations.

Office politics are about power. One definition of power is “the ability to influence others.” Indeed, office politics have a great deal to do with influencing others.

Here are three tips on how to make office politics work for you rather than against you.

Be an Excellent Worker

To combat office politics, the best approach is to execute your job better than anyone else. As the saying goes, “Let your work speak for itself.”

Sometimes it’s not about working harder, it’s about working smarter. For example, valuable employees have a knack for doing the right thing at the right time.

Unfortunately, many employees are so busy with their jobs they forget about professional development. If you aren’t getting relevant job training, your performance will inevitably suffer. What knowledge or skills do you need right now to be a better worker? Further, what steps are you taking to acquire those knowledge or skills? Whatever it takes, make sure you are a high performing employee: the harder it is to replace you, the more power you will have.

Communicate Effectively

Some experts observe that most people don’t communicate, they take turns talking. The truth is if you are a poor communicator, you probably won’t be able to influence many people.

To become an effective communicator, you must learn to actively listen. In a nutshell, active listening is about connecting with others so they feel understood. If you are not an active listener, pursue training and then continuously practice your active listening skills. You can never be too good at listening.

Besides active listening, office workers must be able to express their ideas in a clear, constructive manner. Too often people use inappropriate words or phrases that can lead to misunderstandings and conflicts. To be more effective at expressing yourself, first try putting yourself in the other person’s shoes.

Avoid personalizing situations at all costs. Personal attacks are probably the most stressful, demoralizing part of First Nations office politics. And remember, when you sling mud, you usually end up getting dirty yourself. No job is worth losing your dignity and self-respect.

Understand Power Structures

Sometimes people make the mistake of thinking all the power in an organization rests with one person. Indeed, the Chief or administrator is frequently seen as holding this power. But, in reality, power is often a shared commodity. In particular, people in power usually have to share power with others, especially if they want to stay in power. Thus, a coalition of people shares the power base in most organizations. Further, several coalitions likely exist within your organization, each vying for its fair share of power.

Knowing organizational power is often made up of coalitions can be very useful. For starters, this means more than one person needs to be influenced. Indeed, impressing a minor player in a powerful coalition can sometimes be just as important as impressing the main player. For example, if you want the Chief’s support on an important decision, first try getting his spouse or mother’s support. This example shows that some power rests with those who do not have formal lines of authority.

In conclusion, office politics are a complex social phenomenon, especially for First Nations who live, work and socialize with the same group of people. So, rather than fighting office politics, employees should aim to build constructive relationships within this complicated dynamic.

The Difference Between Leading and Managing

Posted on October 1, 2013 by andrewl

By Andrew Leach, MBA

Download Printable PDF

Some people may think managing and leading are the same things. They are not! This article will explore the main difference between leadership and management, and discuss relevant implications for First Nations organizations.

The primary difference between a leader and a manager is that one is expected to create change while the other is expected to maintain the status quo.

In particular, a leader’s role is essentially about initiating change. Furthermore, people can lead in many ways. For example, there are autocratic leaders, who want a firm hand in how things will change. Then there are democratic leaders, who like to get everyone involved in the change process.

Research shows that effective leaders rely upon more than one leadership style, depending on the circumstances. For example, they’ll be autocratic in one situation and democratic in another. Extraordinary leaders have an almost instinctive knack for selecting the right leadership style with the right circumstance.

Are you a good leader? To answer this question, ask yourself this: Do you lead largely with one leadership style? Or are you skilled at using different styles for different people and different situations?

The primary role of a manager is to carry out organizational plans, while adhering to company policies and procedures. Good managers understand and appreciate planning concepts. They can also develop and execute company policies and procedures.

Ideally, a manager has a combination of both hard and soft skills. Hard skills include being able to crunch numbers and quickly gather, process and interpret lots of information. Soft skills include communication and social skills.

Are you a good manager? To answer this question, ask yourself this: Are you skilled at gathering and processing both the financial and non-financial information within your organization? Are you able to communicate your thoughts, orally and in writing, to a wide range of people, including superiors, subordinates, customers and suppliers?

Given these definitions, it’s clear organizations need both good leaders and managers to reach their goals. Your leaders will help define where you are heading, and your managers will make sure you get there.

It is important for First Nations organizations to know the fundamental difference between leading and managing. Indeed, there are many stories illustrating the struggles that arise when people fail to differentiate between these two roles. For example, many newly elected leaders struggle with the Band-management part of their duties. Also, many good First Nations administrators have had difficulty creating change within their organizations.

In an ideal world, your leaders can manage and your managers can lead. If that is not your situation, you need to do several things. First, never assume your leaders can perform the hard skills of management, such as financial statement analysis. Conversely, don’t assume your most senior manager is the most capable of creating change within your organization or community.

Second, consider cross-training your managers and/or leaders. Specifically, train your managers to lead and your leaders to manage. As a side note, also recognize there are limitations to training; it won’t solve issues overnight. Often, a combination of training and practical experience is the best approach to developing either leadership or management skills.

Finally, we need to acknowledge that some people have a knack for one skill, but are fundamentally weak in the other. If this is the case in your community, put people where they are most capable. Above all, don’t give an important leadership or management task to someone who is incapable of completing it.

In summary, managing and leading are very different tasks. Ideally your community will have a healthy pool of both skills to draw from. If not, make sure your managers and leaders develop the skills needed to do their jobs. In the meantime, don’t make the mistake of giving the wrong task to the wrong person, simply because of a person’s position or title.