With effective management tips you can be a better manager. If you haven't been in management for long, with my management tips and management articles, you will succeed.
We all at some point get fed up with our employers for one reason or another. That’s only natural. But we’re not talking about the short term feelings of frustration that we all experience from time to time. In management we have to realise though that we have to have a positive attitude towards the organization we work for.
In theory, that would mean being active in participating in the companies goals and actively and positively promoting the company in business and sometimes in social conversation as well. If you can’t achieve those two things, then it’s maybe time to seek alternative employment which might be more in line with your own personal goals.
Your attitude towards your more senior management is also an important factor in having a healthy attitude as a manager. We all have a role to play in the company and management is a team process. Weather you like them or not, they also have a role to play in the companies success. Talk to them, make suggestions, but above all, listen to them. Remember, one day you might be in their position as you move up the corporate ladder and I’m sure you would like your subordinates to treat you with the respect your position deserves.
Being patient with new staff is easy to say but hard to do. Managers often have to recruit new staff members and train them in whatever your company does. There are procedures and there are systems in place that a new staff member has to learn. And how quickly a new staff member learns often depends on how well you train them. Being patient with new staff members is important for their development and possibly their future within the company. How can that work?
It’s all very simple. It’s like that old saying that goes that a student is only as good as his teacher. Generally speaking, if a new staff member fails, than it usually comes back on you as a manager. It will be seen that you either recruited the wrong person for the job or that you didn’t train them properly. In saying that though, sometimes a new staff member appears to be failing because the expectations that you have set for them are far too high too early. A friend of mine started a new sales job only a week ago. He is experienced in sales and knows what he is doing however, he has taken on a new industry that he is not familiar with. His manager has already had a go at him for being behind schedule for the role out that he had planned. To top that off, he has only been given a few hours training by his manager on how to sell that product, on how to overcome objections on that particular product and so on. His manager has been in the industry for over 20 years so he knows all the ins and outs of it. So only after a few days, his manager expected him to be able to close as many sales as someone with 20 years experience in the industry. Is that fair? Is that being patient with your new staff? Hardly.
Let’s be realistic. When someone comes into your company from a totally different background, give them time to learn everything there is to know. If you need results in a hurry, then don’t hire someone outside of your industry no matter how great they were in theirs. It takes time to get into a new mind set. Train them well, take the time to make them feel comfortable and above all else, be patient. If after a month or two you see no real improvement in their performance, then it may be time to reevaluate their position in the company. If you jump the gun after only a very short period of time and terminate their employment too early, you may lose a very valuable asset to yourself as well as your company. Being patient with new staff is also a sign of how good you are as a manager.
Brainstorming sessions are one of the best ways to create new innovations in your company or division. Brainstorming been used by a countless number of people over the years because it allows a broad listing of issues or problems that might require analysis and it can help to identify specific causes for specific problems. After all, the role of a manager is to create new innovations within the company to streamline things and to obviously try and save the company money. By using a brainstorming session among your staff helps to reduce the workload on you.
Who should be present at a session? Depending on the problem or issue being discussed, anyone who is directly involved. You wouldn’t have a team of sales people for example involved in a brainstorming session about how to run the photocopier que more efficiently. They couldn’t care less about how long someone has to wait to use the photocopier and it doesn’t affect them directly. However, you would involve them if its a session about how to make the process of whatever paperwork is required of them more efficient. They are the ones who have to use the order forms etc so they should be involved in that one. Typically, the ideal number of participants should be between 5 and 6 and up to about 10 to 12 or so. Any larger and it could get chaotic.
Who should run the brainstorming session? Ideally a manager or supervisor of the department concerned. Sometimes a better idea is, especially if there could be major differences of opinion, someone impartial would be a better choice. That way all managers, supervisors and staff affected are free to participate in the discussion.
Years ago a great management article I read on this subject I have kept in mind to this day. If you have never run a brainstorming session, here are a few simple key points to keep in mind:
1. Try not to go on for more that 30-35 minutes.
2. Define the objective of the session. That way everyone knows what you’re trying to be achieve.
3. Define the rules. Eg. one person speaks at a time, all ideas accepted, no insulting laughter at an idea and whatever else you may think is necessary.
4. Once all ideas are recorded, the mediator may bring in each idea one at a time and throw it open for discussion.
5. Set priorities for the conclusions reached and agree on a time frame for their implementation.
6. The mediator initiates action steps to be taken by maybe individual members of the group and a time frame for their conclusion, development, implementation and so on.
7. Then agree on follow up meetings if needed and how you are going to measure progress on any new innovations which the group has created.
Regular brainstorming sessions are an easy way to get your whole team involved in matters that affect them. Why should you do all the thinking? The old saying goes that many heads are better than one. If your team feel their opinions are taken seriously by management, then that in turn will make them more productive. Regular brainstorming sessions are a must if you are going to create new innovations in your company.
