Leaders are Made, Not Born



09/18/2015 4:49 PM


All managers have similar problems. How to evoke a sense of responsibility among employees? What to do if there is too much of tasks? Do I need to be friends with my subordinates?



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Denny Strigl, a manager with years of experience, and Frank Swiatek, a business consultant, answer the most important questions in their book "Managers, Can You Hear Me Now?"

A few tips you can use right now:

The four main objectives

Base management philosophy lies in one undeniable truth. The results must have the highest priority for a manager. A good manager should always be able to set aside minor things and understand what it takes to achieve the goals. Do not look for excuses. Do not put off tasks indefinitely.

Pursue your aim

Need to pick the wheat from the chaff? It's simple: you have to stop doing what you're doing (whoever you supervise - lawyers, engineers or marketers) if it does not lead to any of the following results:

- Revenue growth;
- Attraction of new clients;
- Keeping existing customers;
- Reduce costs.

Laconism and simplicity

The increasing complexity of work processes will only hinder you. Instead, strive for brevity and simplicity. For example, most of the actions, involving paper work, can be reduced to half a sheet of paper.

Some of the managers enjoys the bureaucracy, turning meaningless procedures into an ordinary practice for the company. However, a manager will never succeed if they focus on reports nobody even reads, or by holding numerous meetings, not bringing practical benefits. It should also be taken into account how often staff have to postpone work to send an email, text message or answer a call during the day - and in fact, most of these interruptions distract from decisions on the truly important issues.

Dealing with e-mail

According to an article published in August 2009, more than 50 billion emails were sent daily in 2001. After 5 years, the figure has risen to 6 trillion, and in 2010, every office worker had 160 messages a day.

Use the following guidelines when dealing with e-mail:

- E-mails must accelerate the work completion, not delay it.
- Ask yourself before writing a letter: "Would not it be better to call?"
- Be brief in your letters.
- Sending a letter does not shift the responsibility to other shoulders.
- E-mail influx does not justify the backlog.

Being friends with staff

The main task of management is providing results, not building friendships. Managers are usually well aware of that they need to pay attention to the people with whom they work. Thinking of the staff is important, but you do not have to become their friends or do anything to make them feel happy (the mistake that many managers often make).

Achieving results increases the degree of staff pride, and, subsequently, strengthen trust. The desire to work even better comes with trust, and loyalty begins to grow. Good managers understand the essence of this process, and therefore work not caring of friendly relations much.

Behavior is the main reason for success or failure of a manager. It turns you into a skilled manager, a mediocre artist or a loser. Do you feel like changing tactics? If yes, just try – and see results.

based upon Managers, Can You Hear Me Now? by Denny Strigl and Frank Swiatek
 


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