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Managing people is not a difficult task.
If we take a look at the sales environment, it is fair to say, that,
“people buy from people they like”. It is then also fair to say, that,
“people buy the most from people they like the most”. Bringing that
back into the management environment, it is then also fair to say
“people work the best for managers they like the best”.
Now by “like”, I don’t mean being part of the “beer and burger”
brigade or being so soft that you become a pushover. In order to
establish the “like recipe”, we need to take a look at five common
characteristics of effective managers.
1. Care – Good managers care about the well being of their staff. At
home, a person has a certain set of needs, i.e. they want to feel
appreciated, they want to feel protected etc. They carry the same set
of needs into the workplace. They may show them differently, but the
needs are exactly the same. Your staff want to feel protected,
appreciated, respected and dignified.
2. Commitment – A manager needs to show commitment to himself, his
staff and his company. Your staff’s level of commitment will rarely
rise above your level of commitment.
3. Consistent – A good manager shows consistency in his or her life
and daily activities. People like predictabilities and if you are
consistent, you are predictable. Your staff will feel more secure with
you and approach you for advice and guidance and to offer input, more
readily.
4. Communicate – A good manager takes the trouble to find out the
communication style of each and every one of his or her staff members,
and then communicates with that staff member in their individual
communication style. For example, if a staff member is not given to
great detail, then instead of bombarding them with huge amounts of
detail, break it up in smaller pieces, spread over a longer period.
5. Challenge – Good managers challenge the status quo and encourage
their staff to do the same. Just because something has been done in a
certain way for so long, doesn’t mean that it can’t be changed or
improved upon.
Management is a position of immense responsibility. This
responsibility is not only to look after the well being of the
company. It is also to make sure that your staff enjoy working for you
and that they want to produce their best efforts.
Did you know..?
People are never the problem. Problems are situations that can
be solved and even eliminated. People are not ‘situations’ and they
cannot be eliminated to resolve a problem! Therefore we cannot see
people as one with their problems. Once we realise this, we are able
to communicate with others with greater ease and sincerity.
There is always someone watching you, using you as a role model. What
are you teaching them?
When you get angry, your heart pumps a huge amount of blood through
your body, resulting in a significant amount of pressure around the
neck, face and head area. Although your body copes with this feat on
occasion, continued pressure of this nature poses a serious health
risk. If you find yourself regularly “exploding” in anger - have you
ever considered professional help?
People will not listen to you when:
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You always talk about yourself
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You complain and speak negatively
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You use a 1000 words when 20 would
have done the job
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You don’t look them in the eyes
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You talk (authoritatively) about a
subject you know nothing about
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You talk about the tyres on the car
while the rest of the group is talking about the performance…
Do you often find yourself wondering why
people are so rude, interrupting you in mid-sentence and seeming
uninterested in what you have to say? Remember – people are never the
problem! You are not the problem either – but chances are that you
have a problem. Start keeping a watch on talking habits and develop
yourself into a person worth listening to!
A Lesson from a young man
Stephen Jobs said: “Be a yardstick of quality. Some people aren’t
used to an environment where excellence is expected”.
Stephen Jobs, the young founder of Apple Computers, understood as well
as anyone what it takes to build excellence into people. He knew that
most people don’t pursue excellence naturally. Pioneering a new
corporation, he recognised that he had the opportunity to set a
standard from the very beginning. Ultimately, he understood that this
could only take place if he became the example of the quality he
desired. He had to be the yardstick for excellence.
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