Best Practices_ Managing People_ Secrets to Leading for New Managers - Barry Silverstein [2]
Don’t criticize your staff in public.
Do fix the problem, not the blame.
Don’t be dishonest when you have bad news to deliver.
Don’t tune out an employee who is telling you something you don’t want to hear.
Do listen before you speak.
Do encourage an open, honest work environment.
At the other extreme are managers with a nice-guy approach. They fraternize with employees, delegate almost everything, and generally take a hands-off attitude. This management style can be almost as detrimental as the autocratic style; the overall lack of direction can frustrate employees.
For the most part, good managers of people exhibit some of both styles when appropriate, and with balance. Good managers combine solid direction and strong leadership with objectivity, compassion, and the right amount of delegation. Whatever your style, it is important to be consistent and fair.
It also pays to get to know the people who work for you. Ask them questions and solicit their input and advice. Then listen to what they have to say. Just taking the time to listen to your staff—to hear and respect their opinions and to “agree to disagree” if necessary—makes a big difference.
Managers Versus Leaders
Managers tend to be more rational, objective, and driven by organizational needs, while leaders are more visionary, emotional, and inspirational in nature.
Although the ideal for a good manager is to be a good leader as well, it doesn’t always work out that way. A great leader has drive and personality in addition to management ability. A great manager may lack those qualities. However, some managers can also become great leaders. While becoming a leader is something to strive for, the transformation is never a sure thing.
The Fine Art of Delegation
One of the most important skills a good manager must acquire is how to delegate.
There is a difference between delegation and abdication. You can’t just drop a project on someone’s desk and hope he or she will figure it out—that would be abdicating your responsibility as a manager. Instead, a good manager first gives thought to which tasks are appropriate to delegate to which employees and then diligently follows up to be sure each task has been successfully completed.
An effective manager explains the why of the task and establishes goals, due dates, and criteria to measure success. But a manager should not detail the how. It is the employee’s responsibility to take ownership of the job and determine the best way to get it done.
“Good management consists in showing average people how to do the work of superior people.”
—John D. Rockefeller, American industrialist and founder of Standard Oil (1839–1937)
When you delegate, give instructions rather than orders. Instructions acknowledge that the individual receiving them is capable of participating, learning, and doing. Instructions invite people to have a say in how things are done. Orders imply that there is one right way to do something, which discourages employees from thinking independently or showing initiative.
It takes a large measure of trust to delegate. You must recognize that the employee’s path to the outcome may not be exactly the one you would have taken.
Overburdening an employee with work is as bad as overmonitoring work that you have delegated. Delegate the right work to the right people, give them enough leeway to accomplish what needs to be done, and monitor their progress reasonably and effectively so that they feel supported rather than micromanaged.
“Don’t tell people how to do things. Tell them what to do and let them surprise you with their results.”
—George S. Patton,
U.S. general
(1885–1945)
Praise in Public, Criticize in Private
As a manager, you are likely to have your share of positive and negative experiences with employees.
Be sure to praise an employee publicly when you catch him or her doing something right. Praise the individual for the specific action and be honest and sincere about it.
CASE FILE
TURNAROUND SPECIALIST
New senior managers brought in to rescue a corporation in trouble are often faced