I’m fascinated by different styles that managers choose to adopt for various situations. Sometimes they will choose to be directive and take their mood out on team members; other times they will be jovial, have fun, delegate well and create a good atmosphere.

People often say that, if there was one skill they would like their manager to show more of, it would be consistency.

I read an interesting quote by Manfred Kets de Vries, of INSEAD, who stated:

“The best managers have the ability to go beyond narrow definitions of what management should be. They don’t fall into a pigeon-hole. Instead, they have the ability to excite people to achieve goals. They lead by example and are extremely resistant to stress. Leaders like Branson are very aware fo their failings and they find good people who can fill these areas”

So what style would you like to consistently choose? Remember that style IS a choice…you are not born that way, and your conditioning can be over-ridden by your conscious awareness.

Most managers do not know what their weaknesses really are. Because their staff rarely share their REAL feelings with their boss, they think everything is ok and never hear the back-biting and sniding comments when they are out of earshot.

Consistency is the main skill that many managers fail to adopt. One person said on one of our courses that he never knows what mood his boss is going to be in when he comes in. Everyone in his departments holds their breath when they hear his footsteps in the morning. If he says hello to everyone, they breathe a sigh and know it’s not going to be a too-bad day. If he storms in and goes straight into his office without saying a word, they all know they will be walking on eggshells all day. He stated that the morale is through the floor and everyone spends most of their day when not working surfing the job websites.

What a dreadfully disheartening situation to be in. This person stated that if the boss would only be consistent, they could deal with it. But his style is so haphazard that they don’t know what to do.

As a manager, you need to identify the best way to get the best out of your team. Just because no-one says anything to you about their mood or how they feel about your style, doesn’t mean everything is ok. Silence often speaks louder than shouted words.

Remember, your role as a manager is to “adapt, modify, adjust and rearrange the complex task and function interfaces that often slip out of alignment” (Leonard Sayles).

If you don’t know what these slippages are, you are in trouble. Keep close to your team, open the lines of communication and, above all, be consistent in your approach to everything you do. That way, you have a fighting chance of getting everyone to communicate back.

Thanks again

Sean

Sean McPheat
Managing Director
MTD Management Training Course

Click below for a:
Free email course “Improve your Management Skills”

What Makes An Ideal Manager?

I’ve asked that question of many people on courses and they all come out with different answers, which is what should be expected. There are so many opinions about this subject, simply because it is so subjective!

However, the truth is when we ask managers and then ask the people who work for them, we get differing answers. But there are some traits that crop up continuously, no matter who you ask, and I discuss some of them here:

• The ideal manager leads by example. They recognise that simply directing or telling will only get short term results at best.

• The ideal manager sets goals with the team in mind. Forcing team members to achieve the unachievable will only cause demotivation and negativity.

• The ideal manager chooses the best style to adopt in the right situation. They choose to direct when in crises, coach when they want to add a challenge, support when necessary and delegate when the right person needs it.

• The ideal manager creates the environment for his team to motivate themselves. They recognise it is impossible to motivate another person if that person chooses not to be motivated

• The ideal manager chooses the best time, place and manner for feedback, recognising that not only is the quality of feedback instrumental in driving performance, but also the feedback is a necessary and influential part of the whole communication process between themselves and their team members

• The ideal manager knows the best way to communicate with their team members. They don’t treat all team members the same but recognise that each one is influenced by the style the manager chooses to adopt in dealings with them

• The ideal manager is inspirational in the way they deal with clients, suppliers, colleagues and their boss. They identify how to deal with every situation in the most effective way and create examples for everyone else to follow.

• The ideal manager knows specifically how to reward and recognise every team members’ contribution to the team effort, and uses every chance to use those reward mechanisms to inspire their team to greater achievements.

• The ideal manager knows that personal development is the key to improving their managerial opportunities, so they consistently and continually look out for ways to improve themselves. At the same time, they model the way they feel their team members can drive their careers forward, sharing examples of how others have inspired them.

This list is only the tip of the iceberg, but it will set you on the path to becoming that ideal manager that every team member would love to work for.

Thanks again

Sean

Sean McPheat
Managing Director
MTD Management Course

Click below for a:
FREE email course “Improve Your Management Skills”

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What’s your main purpose in managing? After many years of deliberation, I believe it comes down to one main thing: the results or outcomes you achieve.

Many managers we meet put a lot of emphasis on the activity they and their teams carry out. This is all well and good, but what, exactly, are you hoping to achieve? Being very busy, but not achieving much, doesn’t help anyone.

So you need to prioritise and focus your energy and planning on results. Ask yourself, What is meant to be the result of the work done by my department? What differences should we be making, and how will we measure them?

If you keep your focus on the desired outcomes or objectives, you will know what needs your attention and how long you should be spending on it. Keep your team reminded of these so that they can prioritise their work effectively .

Focusing on results will help you plan for meetings, appraisals, communications,etc. Ask yourself, “What I want to happen as a result of this meeting? How can I ensure this actually happens?”

Be very clear and effective in the way you communicate, so everyone is singing from the same song-sheet and is aware of how these objectives will be measured.

Put the emphasis on results, not activity. Then you can effectively manage your priorities, your objectives and your results.

Thanks again

Sean

Sean McPheat
Managing Director
MTD Management Course

Click below for a:
FREE email course “Improve Your Management Skills”

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On a recent management course we were running, the discussion revolved around the key skills managers need to make an impact in today’s working environment. One delegate suggested consistency in approach. But another delegate thought it would stifle creativity if a manager tried to be consistent.

I thought about this and have come up with a few benefits of management consistency:

1) Consistency reduces confusion and uncertainty within the team. If your team wonder how you are going to respond to various ideas and issues, you create an atmosphere of doubt and people will think twice about airing thoughts that might be more creative because of concern about your reaction

2) Being consistent brings the perception of who you are and who others think you are closer together. This means people are able to trust you and understand your reactions if there’s a difference of opinion

3) Consistency helps you to ‘walk your talk’. It improves and highlights your personal brand and helps people recognise who you are and the standards you aim for

4) Consistency enables your team to support you in your decision-making. Knowing how you will respond will allow team members to have confidence in approaching you and supporting the way you deal with problems

5) Consistency can still encourage creativity. It just means that in situations that require you to make decisions, people know where they stand with you and can predict your behavioural styles

So, there’s no doubt that people can build their trust in you when you are consistent in your approach and a level of understanding not found where inconsistency is rife.

Thanks again

Sean

Sean McPheat
Managing Director
MTD Management Course

Click below for a:
FREE email course “Improve Your Management Skills”

One thing that differentiates average managers from the really successful ones is their devotion to excellence.

When we ask managers how committed they are to excellence in their role, the majority tell us that they are ‘very’ or ‘totally’. But when we probe a little further and ask what they specifically do to show excellence in their work, there is a distinct lack of clarity.

Let me ask you the same question; how committed are you to excellence in everything you do?

Those we have worked with over the years who have demonstrated this commitment to excel in all they do, share one particular emotion that makes them stand out. And that is the passion they show for excellence.

By that I mean they see opportunities to show a very high work ethic in everything they do, and the passion they show for that level of performance outweighs everything else. All they do is stamped with high quality, and they approach their tasks with a resolute mind-set that creates a confidence in everyone who works with them.

So can you raise your standards whenever you need to get results? If you do that consistently, there is every chance you have a ‘passion for excellence.

Thanks again
Sean

Sean McPheat
Managing Director
MTD Management Course

Click below for a:
FREE email course “Improve Your Management Skills”