Last week, I shared general tips for re-inventing your career in 2010. Today I want to speak specifically to managers and those aspiring to the position on how to be better at their jobs and earn the respect of their colleagues.
1. First learn how to manage yourself. “Watch your thoughts; they become words. Watch your words; they become actions. Watch your actions; they become habits. Watch your habits; they become character. Watch your character; it becomes your destiny”. Frank Law
As As a manager you’ve have been given an awesome responsibility to lead, motivate, coach, improve performance etc. You will never be effective if you don’t “walk the talk”. You must become the change you wish to see and lead by example.
2. Stop
Micromanaging – Not sure
if you’re guilty of micromanaging? Consider the following. Micromanagers are
basically dictators. They control the when, where and how the work gets done.
They keep their feet pressed on their employee’s neck insisting that employees
seek their approval before moving forward – even on routine matters. They
demand frequent reports and constantly monitor their staff’s activity. A word
to the wise. Micromanaging negatively affects morale, enthusiasm, and
employee’s confidence. As a micromanager you are also not as productive as you
could be, because you are wasting valuable time babysitting. Did you know that
having to work under a micromanaging boss is documented as one of the main
factors contributing to high employee turnover? That’s right! People don’t
leave organizations, they leave bad managers. So please stop being a mother hen and give people the power
and authority to perform their jobs.
3. Stop
wasting people’s time by hosting ineffective meetings – If you’re anything like me you hate being called to a
meeting that drags on and on where even Stevie Wonder can see that the host is
clearly “winging it”. The agenda is scribbled on a piece of paper (or envelope)
and the only person who knows why everyone has been summoned is the host.
Obviously the views of the invited parties are not important because they have
not been given a opportunity to prepare. As a manager you will be called upon
to host many meetings with your team. Make them effective by:
a. Deciding on your objective in advance. By the end of
the meeting the objective should have been met
b. Prepare an agenda and stick to it.
c. Take charge and remain in control. Remember as the
manager, you are in charge – end of story. Don’t allow people to “take over”
your meeting, ramble on, not participate or bring up “old stories” or reminisce
on how things use to be.
d. Never include “other business. If it was important it
should be on the agenda.
e. Start your meetings on time – never wait for anyone
and never, never repeat information for latecomers. If they missed something
important, they will just have to get it from someone later. Believe me, nobody
likes to feel lost or out of the loop in meetings. Next time I guarantee they
will be on time.
f. Hold your meetings closer to the end of the day. This
will keep meetings shorter since people are usually anxious to go home they
will be less inclined to “run on” and drag out the meeting with petty
ramblings.
g. The day before, call to confirm attendance and e-mail
the agenda
h. Always end with an action plan/decision
4. Train your
employees to stop complaining – “Bring
me solutions, not problems.” – Margaret Thatcher, British Prime Minister
1979-1990. Let’s face it no matter what you do or how hard you try there are
some employees who will always find something to complain about. That’s fine,
but from now whenever they bring you a problem say “So what do you want me to
do about this?” If they say “I don’t know, you’re the manager” say “I know
that, but I’d like to hear your suggestions. How would you handle this?” Whenever
employees bring a problem, get
them into the habit of also bringing possible solutions. They will be less
inclined to complain if you make them own the problem.
5. Standup for your team. If you don’t fight for them who will? Here is an excerpt from Yes Minister that I found amusing.
Ji: Jim: Who else in this department?
Sir
Humphrey: Well briefly, sir, I am the
Permanent Secretary of State known as the Permanent Secretary, Wooley here is
your Principle Private Secretary. I too have a Principle Private Secretary, and
he is the Principle Private Secretary to the Permanent Secretary. Directly
responsible to me are 10 Deputy Secretaries, 87 Undersecretaries and 219
Assistant Secretaries. Directly responsible to the Principle Private
Secretaries are Plain Private Secretaries, and the Prime Minister will be
appointing two Parliamentary Undersecretaries and you will be appointing your
own Parliamentary Private Secretary.
Jim: Can they all type?
Sir Humphrey: None of us type, Minister. Mrs. McKay types, she is
the secretary:
So
exactly who is the team? The team is anybody you need to get the job done. To
be effective in your role as manager, your teams needs to know and see you
demonstrate the fact, that you will stick with them through “hell or high
water”. They need to understand that as their protector you will not “throw
them under the bus”, to save yourself. When you earn the confidence and trust
of your team, managing becomes a whole lot easier.
6.
Relax – Contrary to popular belief, you don’t have to
know everything to be in charge. “What!”
You heard me. As a manager you do not,
I repeat do not have to know how to do everybody else’s job! This is why you
pay people! All you need to know is what everybody’s job entails and have a
backup plan in the event of a crisis. Cross train. It is important for
everybody to have an understanding of each other’s job function. “The problem
is we do not educate staff in the ‘bigger picture’. In this case, the bigger
picture relates to what other people do, their various expertise, and the
relationship of other employee’s job to each other”. – Robert Bacal, The
Complete Idiot’s Guide To Dealing With Difficult Employees.
