Staff Management Tips

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.

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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.

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Is your ego losing you respect among your peers or colleagues? Our ego’s can be two edged swords. In one way, an ego can be a good thing in that having an insufficient one can lead to insecurity, apathy, fear and a general lack of ambition. The word ego in some dictionaries is defined as “the self of an individual person; the conscious subject” or Psychoanalysis) Psychoanal the conscious mind, based on perception of the environment from birth onwards: responsible for modifying the antisocial instincts of the id and itself modified by the conscience (superego)” but simply put, it’s basically “one’s image of oneself; morale”. Sometimes our image of ourselves can be a little overinflated or can make us become interested in ourselves only. There are some simple warning signs that our ego may be becoming a little over inflated hence losing the respect of others.

Out of all the management tips and management articles that I have read  over the years, these four are among the most important.

Showcasing Brilliance

You could define that as showing off or basically being up yourself. People who see themselves in this light generally believe that they know everything that is worth knowing and that there is nothing more that they can be taught. In management, this is one of the biggest mistakes a manager can make. No one knows it all and management is all about managing people. If anyone out there can say that they know everything about human nature, then my hat goes off to you.

Constantly Seeking Acceptance

People with a huge ego are constantly looking for acceptance in everything they say and do. They are very busy trying to protect their egos by trying to be liked so they say anything that people like to hear. This one is a definite way to lose respect fast.

Being Overly Comparative

People with overinflated egos can become so obsessed with someone elses accomplishments that they totally overlook and become dissatisfied with their own. The ego drive to compete can become so intense that they want to show everyone else that they can do it better. Once again, in management that is a very big mistake and can cause disharmony among your staff. In one management position I had, I was told that I had to lead by example which was fine but management told me that I had to compete with my sales team for sales. I was a good sales person and I knew I could outsell any of my staff if I really tried. I could think of nothing more demotivating for my staff. The point is that a manager should never compare himself to his staff and say that they can do it better. That may well be the case but if you think like that, maybe it’s time for that ego check.

Being Overly Defensive

A person with an over inflated ego is more concerned with defending everything they say and do saying that they are always right. The most important thing to them is being seen as always in the right. But what they’re really doing is robbing themselves a chance to learn and grow by closing their mind to new ways or methods. Definitely a way to lose respect of your peers and colleagues.

We should all have an ego check every now and then. Our ego’s literally can be our greatest asset but an unhealthy one can be our greatest enemy. A healthy ego is not a dirty word but an inflated one  definitely is. Like it or not, your staff are going to lose respect for you if you ego is so big that it wont fit in the elevator. So, is your ego losing you respect? It might just be time for  an ego health check.

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