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Your concern must be genuine. You cannot fake it. Genuine concern means seeing that your people are properly challenged, that they’re appropriately recognized, that they’re rewarded when they perform well, and that they receive accurate and timely feedback on their performance.
You must see to it that the objectives of the company and the objectives of your team members are not at cross-purposes.
Your team members look to you for leadership. You serve as interpreter for the employees, as you are a primary source of information on the organization’s broader strategies and goals.
It is also important for managers to pay attention to their attitude toward superiors.
But your new responsibilities demand a new level of loyalty from you.
Keep your manager informed of your plans, actions, and projects.
Be considerate of your manager’s time and try to schedule appointments or meetings at your manager’s convenience.
Be well-prepared. Present your arguments and concerns logically and objectively and have examples and facts to back up what you’re saying.
Be willing to listen to your manager’s point of view. Your manager may have experience or information you are lacking that led you to a different conclusion.
You should always try to meet with your boss on a regular basis to discuss any issues that need addressing.
So, this maladjusted company attitude drives away the more talented and retains the less talented.
Second, in a tough economy, appreciating all of your staff, including the very talented managers, places the organization in a stronger position to compete effectively.
One of the surest ways to eventually drive good people from your company is to perpetuate bad management.
This may sound obvious, but many new managers can’t wait to start treating their people the way they’ve been treated.
Why would anyone want to "dish it out" to an employee? Golden Rule, treat others as you want to be treated.
The lesson of the unreasonable boss is to be the kind of leader you wish you had, not to carry on the tradition.
If you’re working for an unreasonable boss, do society a favor and say, “Let it end with me.”
If you know the personality style of your manager, you will be able to manage this person by knowing what your manager needs and wants and how he likes to work and communicate.
The Monopolizers. These managers like to be in charge of everything and are fast decisionmakers who stick to their decisions, are very organized, and are bottom line oriented.
If you work for monopolizers, make sure you are clear and direct with your communication, have all your facts ready, and are prepared to do what they say.
The Methodicals. These managers are analytic types who like to take their time gathering information and data before making a decision.
The Motivators. These are the bosses who are fun to be around.
Their Achilles’ heel is that they shy away from conflict and do not like change.
Your work life will be easier and more enjoyable if you are attentive to your supervisor’s preferences.
1. How she processes information. 2. The level of detail your supervisor prefers. 3. His level of immediacy, meaning how concerned he is about having all the latest information right away or if he prefers that new information be presented after it has been contemplated. 4. The topic that interests her and the topics for which she has little interest.
Partly it has to do with the fact that so many managers are given no training.
Another possibility is that it takes more time to be a diplomatic manager. These managers spend time with people explaining not only what is to be done but also why it’s done.
The diplomat knows that the time spent up front getting everybody involved pays off with huge dividends down the road.
The autocrat engenders fear while the diplomat builds respect and even a degree of affection.
The diplomat causes people to say, “He respects us and cares for us. I’d walk the last mile for him. All he needs to do is ask.”
The difference is that the autocrat uses authority constantly, while the diplomat uses it judiciously.
People working for the autocrat believe they are working for someone, while those reporting to the diplomat believe they are working with someone.
In order to use the awareness approach in selecting a managerial style, you have to determine what each of your employees needs from you.
No single management style is always appropriate.
If you really want your team to succeed and perform at the highest levels possible, you need to build a team dynamic.
order to build a team dynamic, the following six factors are essential: 1. Open communication 2. Empowerment 3. Clear roles and responsibilities 4. Goal clarity 5. An effective leader 6. A reward and accountability system for both individual team members and for the entire team
You get a strong team dynamic when you empower your team members by giving them the right to make decisions concerning the work they are doing.
Does everyone you manage know the goals of both your team and the entire organization? Make sure they do. Keep it simple—ideally down to one sentence for each. Your team’s goal statement could be something like, “Our goal is to provide our internal customers with accurate, timely, and valuable market data at the lowest cost.”
Once you have worked with your team to develop your simple goal statement, make sure everyone knows it and has it memorized.
Why is this important? Organizational goal clarity keeps everyone moving in the same direction. It gives them the standard against which they can make decisions and decide on a course of action. The simple standard is whether the decision or outcome they are considering works for or against the goal. If it supports the goal, proceed. If it works against the goal, stop.
As leader, you should do the following: • Set clear goals for each team member and for the team. • Give clear directions for those who need it. • Share examples and experiences of your personal successes and mistakes in order to relate to the team. • Emphasize the positive rather than the negative in your talks with your team. • Give continual feedback to each team member and to the team—both positive and constructive. • Use small successes to build team cohesiveness. • Practice what you say. • Express your and the organization’s appreciation through rewards, if available. • Develop a
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When team members understand that you are holding them accountable based on how well they perform as team players, they quickly get the message that teams count.
As a manager you need to both manage and lead but it is vital that you understand the difference.
At the risk of oversimplifying the difference, management is about controlling and leadership is about inspiring.
As the workforce becomes better educated, informed, and transient, managers who are not also inspirational in their methods will be at a disadvantage.
Just because you’re a manager doesn’t mean you’re equipped to handle every problem that comes your way.
The court ruled that a manager is not qualified to give personal advice. The manager should have referred the individual to human resources or to a qualified service such as employee assistance.
You have to make it clear that if they choose not to solve the problem, they may be dismissed from employment.
You must be willing to listen, but not to the extent that problem employees spend a great deal of time in your office talking when they should be working. There is a fine line between being a good listener and allowing people to get away from their work for two hours while they drink coffee and pour out all their problems to you.
Don’t pass judgment. Solve the work problem, and point employees to resources where they can solve their personal problems.
The best way to confront these challenging behaviors is to tell the employees what behaviors they need to change and why.
