Introduction The purpose of this document is to outline Agile development and the role of Positive Power and Influence® (PPI®). The Need for Agile With so much uncertainty facing businesses today, their need to be adaptable is very high. This adaptability includes sensing market changes early, being organized to respond quickly, and then delivering better products or capabilities to the market rapidly. Many businesses have responded to this need by adopting Agile approaches in software development and further applying these Agile principles to other parts of their business. Agile Software Deve ..read more

1.0 INTRODUCTION The purpose of this paper is to provide a short explanation of the most widely adopted approaches to product development and process optimization, while touching on how they relate to each other. The scope of this document includes WATERFALL, AGILE, LEAN, SIX SIGMA, and GE-WORKOUT. As a start, it is important to understand that both Waterfall and Agile strive to improve a product, while Six Sigma and LEAN strive to improve the process that delivers the product. However, LEAN and Six Sigma have been applied to improve the Waterfall and Agile proces ..read more

Although conflict in the workplace is not necessarily a bad thing, it can be if it is not resolved quickly and effectively. Conflicts left unaddressed can fester and spread to other people and other business units, resulting in productivity loss and communication problems between coworkers and teams. In the worst case scenario, conflicts may even lead to lawsuits. Fortunately, business leaders and managers with adequate conflict resolution training can bring disputes to a close in a way that benefits everyone involved. When conflicts are resolved successfully, they can lead to creative solutio ..read more

Although negotiations are essentially just conversations with other like-minded individuals, such as coworkers, clients, business partners or anyone else, it is important to walk into these conversations fully prepared. There are a number of different tactics and strategies that leaders can use to help all parties walk away satisfied, enabling them to get the best outcome from their perspective. Here are a few of the tactics they can utilize: 1. Stay a step or two ahead  Picture negotiations as a dance between two people or parties – if executives want to take a commanding position in the ..read more

Of the many skills today’s leadership-level staff members need to possess, negotiation, conflict resolution and influence are likely among the most critical, especially given the speed with which the workforce is evolving. Unfortunately, some experts and researchers have argued that these areas might be the weakest with respect to modern leaders and managers, indicating that negotiation training is increasingly important to keep companies moving in the right direction. Negotiation skills will come in myriad situations, ranging from simply trying to help an employee improve and forming str ..read more

Negotiations are not something you can just walk into and hope for the best. They require a certain mindset and a calculated plan of action if you want to to walk away with all parties pleased about the outcome of these discussions. Here are a few tips businesses should keep in mind as they hit the negotiation table: 1. Be realistic with goals and objectives When people walk into conversations with other parties, they often think about what they need and set out to achieve all of their priorities. However, it is not realistic to enter negotiations expecting to achieve all objectives – compromi ..read more

Conversation forms the basis of communication, and the better people are able to express their needs and desires verbally, the more effective they will be in the workplace. In that regard, negotiation skills are tools that everyone should have, as everyone will need to negotiate at some point (whether it is for a higher salary or a lower price on a car). However, some people at work may benefit more than others by fine-tuning their conversation and negotiation aptitude. Here are a few examples: 1. Salespeople Salespeople spend most of their day communicating with others, particularly busi ..read more

The business world is growing increasingly technology-centric for operational functions and transactions, but this dependency can hinder B2B relationships in some cases. Related posts: Building meaningful business relationships across cultures Managing and interacting with individuals who hail from various countries with different moral codes and... Building healthy relationships with employees Companies should always have an eye toward improving business relationships. Modern enterprises understand the collaborative... Strong team relationships can foster high performance Too often, managers ..read more

While it's imperative to be properly equipped during the conversation in question, it's almost just as important to be properly prepared - mentally and emotionally - before entering into any negotiation setting. Related posts: Successful negotiation tactics start with behavior When used correctly, your influence skills and personal power will shine through and make you... 4 tips for better negotiations Negotiations are not something you can just walk into and hope for the best. They... Language plays a pivotal role in negotiations Words are weird. Sometimes people can interpret the same words ..read more

When used correctly, your influence skills and personal power will shine through and make you the top-notch negotiator of the office. Related posts: Why the need to utilize influence to achieve optimal results in a negotiation Companies rely on their sales teams as principal growth engines. Without these departments converting leads... Overcoming sticky situations with negotiation skills Negotiating is no easy task.... 4 negotiation tactics entrepreneurs can take into business conversations Although negotiations are essentially just conversations with other like-minded individuals, such as co ..read more