Being an
efficient manager isn’t about driving those you supervise or employees to work
harder. Forcing people to work a certain way can breed resentment as well as
disloyalty whereas being too soft can lead to habits of laziness or
boredom. There is no right management
style this is because each employee and company is going to have an individual
perspective and its own organization culture.
Universally
there are obviously some wrong management styles that must be avoided. This can
be done by following the 10 “golden”
rules of effective management:
1. Consisitency
Can be
considered the first rule because it applies to most of the others. Before
you’re effective as a manager you have to be consistent in your management
style. Such as rewarding the same behaviors every time they appear,
discouraging the same behaviors when they appear and treating every member of
your team with an equal, level-head.
2.
SET THE GOAL OF WORKING AS A TEAM
If
you want your team to work together, have them work for something together.
Setting goals just for the department or one individual breeds a limited
mentality and forces team members to remain isolated. Instead, give your people
a unified focus and purpose, to inspire them together.
The
way you’ll communicate to your team will most likely dictate your eventual
success. When relaying instructions, recapping meetings or just doling out
company updates, strive for the clarity, accuracy and thoroughness of your
communication. This goes for any other medium, whether that means in-person
communication, email or a phone call. Clarity, accuracy and thoroughness are
the best way to avoid miscommunication and keep your team on the same page.
4. Reward
and recognize hard work publicly
Whenever a team amber does something
exceptional reward them with a bonus, a small trophy, or just vocal
recognition. This done in from of the group will make the intended recipient
feel good and show the other team members that hard work is rewarded. Just
remember consistency as stated above will save you from being seen as playing
favorites.
5.
PRactice What you
preach
You as the visionary, leader, and manager should
set an example in terms of your behavior. If you show up late, your team will
be less punctual, if you lose your temper easily others will be amiss when it
comes to checking their emotions in check, if you cut corners and are not
honest, your team is likely going to be the same, if you’re corrupt or collect
bribes so will your people. So by all means strive to be your own ideal perfect
worker, especially in front of your team.
PS: You can schedule some time to have a chat with me if you need any help with different aspects of your business, I have grown to know a number of resources to help your business succeed as a business owner.
6. Be AS Transparent as possible
I
have learnt over time that as a business transparency should be at the core of
your business matters. This is because it shows your integrity as a leader, and
builds trust with the individual members of your team. If you lie about
something, or withhold information, you could jeopardize your relationships and
the respect you command as a leader. Remember a good name is better than
riches.
7. don’t
“one-size-fits-all” everything
Your
team is comprised of individuals with unique preferences, strengths, weaknesses
and ideas. Never use the exact same approach to motivate, encourage or mold all
of them. Focus on individuals, and customize your approach to fit each one.
Just always remember to be transparent and consistent in the process.
8. Encourage
opinions and ideas
It can never over emphasized that you will
be dealing with different individuals from different backgrounds and with
different personalities. Therefore the more people you have actively
participating in the decision making process the better, especially in the
attempt to making improvements to the organization and its processes. By all
means try not to chastise a team member for voicing an opinion respectfully, even
if it goes against your original vision or isn’t well thought out. Cutting
someone down for voicing an opinion builds resentment, and discourages people
from sharing their own new thoughts. Employees need to voice free to voice
their opinions as this builds a sense of ownership for the business.
9. Make
work fun
You don’t need a pool table or dress code
abolition to make work fun. You can make the workday more enjoyable with such
new elements as surprise lunch outings, a dedicated break room or even just
casual conversations with your workers. Help your people enjoy coming to work,
and they’ll do their best work for you.
10.
Listen atentively and ask questions
Ever heard of the grape vine? Usually
rumors coming from there shouldn’t be left unattended to, try to find out the
root of that rumor and you can work on problems before the pop up. Also if someone
doesn’t agree with your management style or doesn’t like the direction of the
company, don’t silence that person. You will discover that in divergent views a
new innovation might stem forth. So listen. And ask questions of your entire
team: What do you think of this? How do you feel about that? This open
dialogue makes it easier to proactively identify problems and work together to
create a mutually beneficial environment. It will also make your employees feel
appreciated and acknowledged
Whatever I
have written above isn’t cast in stone, there’s plenty of wiggle room to apply
your own personal “brand” of leadership and management. They stand as
fundamental truths that govern effective management rather than a strict
instruction manual to success. Stay true to these principles in addition to
your own and you will unify your team in a rewarding and enriching environment.
What other rules can you add to this list, please feel free to share your ideas below… feel free to leave a comment and share.
