James Robbins wrote a great new book, 9 Minutes on Monday. After telling him that I don’t do book reviews more than once about ever 3 years, he sent it to me anyway. (That’s the beauty of PDF copies.) Bored while waiting for my daughter at ballet class, I read it.
And I loved it. You can read my thoughts on it here, How to be a better manager in 9 minutes, and you can enter a contest to win your very own, signed copy.
Here’s how to win. In the comments, leave a comment with the best tip you’ve ever received (or given yourself!) on how to be a better manager.
It doesn’t matter if you’ve never managed people or not. Just write down what you think is a great tip for managing people.
James has promised to pick his favorite of the tips and that person will receive a signed copy of his book, 9 Minutes on Monday.
Contest ends sometime next Monday when I get around to ending it, which will probably be around noon, East Coast Time. (How specific is that?)
I also will use your tips in an upcoming column.
Additionally, if you got your tip from someone else, please give credit where credit is due! (You don’t have to say, “My friend Jane Doe,” but please at least say, “My friend/boss/coworker/Ask a Manager/HR Bartender said…” If you got it off the internet, please give us the link. (And yes, feel free to link to yourself.)
The contest is now officially closed! I will be posting the winner as soon as I know who it is.
Updated October 8, at 6:37 PM Swiss Time.
For those times when you tell someone to do something because you’re the manager: Every time you hit someone with the “management” stick, it breaks in half.
(oops, the above “manager stick” comment was me!)
I believe that you should lead by example. It’s very hard to ask an employee to do something/not do something if you don’t play by the same rules.
This article (“Why Introverts Can Make The Best Leaders”) by Jennifer Kahnweiler helped me realize that I need to focus on my strengths in the workplace and as a manager (and in life in general!), rather than worrying about my inherent weaknesses. I have what it takes to be a good manager, even though I am quiet, not usually exuberant, and out of my element in large social gatherings. I am, however, deliberate, very prepared, a good listener, and good with the written word; these are strengths that I bring to my job and my interactions with the employees I supervise, just as an outgoing, highly exuberant and personable manager focuses on his or her own strengths to inspire the team.
http://www.forbes.com/2009/11/30/introverts-good-leaders-leadership-managing-personality.html
If you smile when you’re saying something, you’re a lot more likely to get a positive reception no matter what it is that you are saying. I did not believe this advice at first but have found that it works quite well.
Don’t try to fix weaknesses. That is too much effort for very little return. Instead, leverage strengths.
From a class on project management for history professionals: bad news early is good news. Drummed into us over the course of several days and I’ve found it applies to nearly all walks of life.
Never tell/ask someone to do something you’re not willing to do yourself. Always remember how it felt to be the one managed, and take that into consideration when managing others.
From a Professor: Reduce uncertainty and you’ll expand productivity. People usually act when they are confident they’re doing the right/best thing the right/best way. How to reduce uncertainty? Communicate.
After having read Shackleton’s Way, I took several different bits from the book for my own management/leadership style. One I always use is giving constant feedback – from the positive to the negative. It works for our small staff.
One of my first managers ingrained me the realization that perception is reality, so no matter what my intentions for something are if it comes across in a way that is condescending or rude or like I’m undermining my employee, that’s all that person will remember rather than the good intentions behind it.
In a former profession I was talking to a new sales manager who was upset that her former co-workers weren’t turning in complete paperwork etc.. She was aghast that they didn’t do the job like she did — I told her that not everyone does the work in the same way… When I became department chair at my college, I had to remind myself of her lesson.
With responsibility there are no days off.
I had an employee ask me for something I felt was unreasonable. She was upset that she wasn’t getting her way and made it very clear she was unhappy. Instead of taking it personally, I reminded her that she needed to “Manage her manager better”. I learned that lesson from reporting to upper-level mgmt for years. If I really wanted something to go my way, I had to manage the situation (or the person) to ensure I got what I wanted.
I think the bestthing you can do is to put yourself in another person’s position. They can still be wrong, you don’t have to agree, but try to see their perspective.
My boss tells us all the time that the reason we are successful as a clinic is that she has made a point over the years to hire people smarter than she is.
Years of event management taught me to find people who know what they are doing, know what needs to be done, and get out of the way.
But, because this is how everyone works, we also need to let people know what we are working on, since everything is interconnected.
So part two: share information early and often.
My advice as a non-manager to a manager? Communicate!
I can’t do my job and do it well if I have no idea what your expectations are, how my part fits into the whole, and in which direction you see the whole entity moving.
Train your employees!
I can’t be efficient if I have no idea how your particular computer systems operate, for example. The time I spend trying to figure out that the box in the corner on screen B must be clicked before I can move on to screen C could be better utitlized. I may be proficient at computer use, but I don’t probably know the ins and outs of Acme Manufacturing’s in-house system.
Remember the people reporting to you have their goals, dreams and vision for their future. To the best of your ability (and their willingness to share) learn what these are. Now when it comes to coaching, mentoring and managing your direct report staff, you can incorporate this understanding into your message. Even if the mission doesn’t directly correlate or even contradicts their own vision, they will hear that you considered their point of view and you don’t just order “on a whim”.
Besides, it is just good to know who you are working with.
I spent college working in daycares before working my way the corporate ladder to manager. I’ve noticed that if you treat kids like adults and adults like children, you’ll get better results (not always, but seems to work for most)
Never value bureaucracy and process over people. This is what gives HR a bad name (and often unnecessarily). When you have a problem with an individual person, deal with that person/problem and don’t push out some wimpy policy to try to “stem the tide” of people who wear orange crocs to work (or whatever other lame HR policy you can imagine). If you put people first and deal with them clearly and honestly, you’ll find that most of your policies are unnecessary.
One of the leaders at my college LOVED to give speeches. In fact, he was also one of the professors who taught speech. He was great, enthusiastic, but if you were around long enough you could find the patterns in those speeches. Anyway, the one thing that always stood out was his saying that in order to be a great leader you need to tell those that you are leading, why. I need you to do this because…It would be great if this happened because… That word “because” gives people the reassurance that their work is not all for naught, that they are making a difference because
When I became a department head at my old job,the first thing my manager said to me was “you cannot ask/expect one of your staff to do something if you are not willing to do it yourself. Be willing to work on their level beside them, and you will get more out of them.” I was working in a daycare type setting, and when snacks needed to be prepped or a toilet needed to be unclogged (not my favourite job) I would do my fair share and never heard a complaint when my staff had to do the same. When my role changed & someone else took my position, she refused to follow that same advice. Instead of getting her hands dirty she would wait 1/2 hour for maintenance to come & fix it. The difference in staff attitude soon changed from “it’s part of the job & it’s gotta get done somehow” to “it’s not MY job! You can’t make me do it”! Sad to see for sure! It proved that the manager was indeed right!
Create a safe environment that encourages candor. Lack of workplace candor often makes it much harder for companies to achieve their goals.
There are two important categories of people:
1) Those that “get it” and those that “don’t get it”
2) Those that are “in” and those that are “out”
Most people feel they have to focus their time on those that are “out” and/or “don’t get it”.
If instead, you focus your time on those that are “in” AND “get it”, your team will be much higher performing.
(Then deal with the others appropriately, according to the Evil HR Lady’s advice)
Came across a quote posted on a message board and it struck me as so true- and common with complaints to HR.
“Never ascribe to malice that which is adequately explained by incompetence.”
The best management advice I ever received was, “Do the right thing. Follow your conscience, regardless of politics.”
Start every work conversation by asking a variation on the following, “What can I help you with/How can I help you?” May sound corny but it is amazing when you see the stress on someone’s face melt away because they ‘get’ that you ‘get’ that you’re in it together. It’s also a positive way to identify roadblocks, find areas where additional training or professional development would be helpful, get a quick handle on staff workloads and priorities, helping readjust if needed. I’ve found that starting with “What do you need from me? or How can I help you?” also gives you valuable insight into how a person is doing – really doing…mentally, physically, professionally, personally, etc.
The most important thing I have learned is that you can’t just tell people the what, you have to tell them the why. Employees will be happier and more productive if you show them that they have value. This means making them part of the big picture, and showing them their place in it. Every role has value, and it’s the manager’s job to make sure everyone sees it. You also must remind yourself periodically who is doing what and why so that you can anticipate and respond to changing needs. You might need to adjust responsibilities or shuffle staff, maybe it’s time to add or reduce staff. This helps you stay on top of ever shifting needs and priorities.
The best advice I ever got was from one of my first managers….I brought him a problem and he asked me, “What do you think we should do about it?” And then when I didn’t have an answer, he coached me to bring him a recommended solution whenever I needed a decision from him. He didn’t promise to always agree, but he did commit to explaining his choice when it was different from mine. I’ve used his advice many times since with other managers and with my own employees. It helps your own manager see you as a problem-solver and it’s a great way to help your employees do a better job at figuring out solutions to problems and issues. It helps keep their “monkeys” off your back.
Simply put, “Don’t bring me problems, bring me solutions.” I had a great early manager that instilled that in me early, done well for me ever since.
Okay, the best management advice I ever got was from a school counselor that was talking about breaking up with a boyfriend/girlfriend, and only later did I come to apply it to managing work relationships: understand that your primary goal when making management decisions is not to earn the concurrence of the employees you manage. You will never get employees to agree that they need to be reassigned, demoted, reprimanded, laid off or fired. Because those are some of the hardest actions to take as a manager, it is smart to keep in mind that you can lay out your case to the employee for why it is the best course of action for everyone (the employer), employee buy-in is always a secondary goal.
Not entering the competition but just to say I emailed my MD that list and the link, he loved it and went and bought the book instantly!
🙂
Lydia
A great tip for managing people I learned is to first read the employee handbook. There is a wealth of info in it which helps to better know the company culture and the expections of the employer from employees etc.
Listen, really listen. It’s not as easy as it sounds
It’s not always the trainee, sometimes it’s the trainer…. When teaching someone a new skill or helping them advance their understanding of a concept if the trainee truly has the desire to learn the material and keeps failing to grasp the final step the fault may not be with the student but with the teacher. Review, rephrase, revisit each point until the connection is made to give them the foundation they need. Remember that everyone learns in their own way and at their own pace.
Don’t treat your employees like idiots. It demeans them AND you. It especially is true when you have unsettling news to share: company shakeup, changes in management, really changes to anything. If you try to put a nice, “everything is still wonderful” Pollyanna gloss on the news you are trying to break, your employees will quickly lose confidence in you and your ability to determine when a situation needs more care and gravity.
My brother once told me (while standing in line waiting for our kids to go on an amusement park ride) that all people really want is respect and to know that what they are doing is important. He was talking about the “carnival ride guy” who was explaining to him that the ride was safe and this guy really took pride in making sure that the ride was indeed safe. His statement has stayed with me ever since and I use this philosophy all the time.
Never be afraid to deliver bad news… ask for solutions and offer help
These are some of the things I have learnt (some the hard way):
1. Listen. Lots.
2. Be flexible, when you can.
3. Be consistent.
4. Be fair.
5. Manage. Its not a popularity contest.
6. Keep learning, always.
7. Ask for Help, sooner rather than later.
8. Give respect, to get respect.
9. Remember: try to keep everyone’s dignity including your own.
I feel the best way to engage my employees and get their buy-in is to be human. Don’t act like I have all the answers, but rather that my goal is to facilitate the team coming to the best decision. The second I pull the “Because I’m the Manager” card (as a few other posters also mentioned), my employees will tune out and disengage.
Get up from your desk, walk over to your employee’s desk, and speak to them face-to-face whenever possible rather than via email or phone. One of my directors once told me this and I think about it every day.
My friend who is an HR Director told me it’s simple, “Be fair, be consistent”.
Some advise that I have given myself and that has really helped me out as a manager is to remember to not “tell” my employees what to do but to “ask” them to do things. For some reason they respond to me better when I ask them. Also, I always tell them “Thank You” and that I appreciate them. Because I really do!! I have great employees!!
Say what you mean and mean what you say – no corporate gobbledy gook speak.
Acknowledge your employees as human beings. When things go well, we love to hear “Great job!” When we help out or go above and beyond, a simple “thank you” will continue to be heard long after the words have faded. “How are you doing on that?” will carry further than a status check.
I’ve been managing people over 20 years. I have grown tremendously and I’m still growing. I’ve learned from my managers. Some of them I still remember as good leader and still looking up to them. With some of them I don’t want my ways never to be crossed again. They are disgrace to great management. What makes a great leader in my mind is: have a confidence in yourself, be open, be fair, be honest, coach and motivate people, and be a leader not manager.