| Here are the top 50 Rules for Managers. Put | | | | 27. Ask the hard questions no one else is. Like |
| them in any order you like. Hopefully they will | | | | "What are your expectations" and "What is the |
| remind you of something or reinforce a concept | | | | reason we are doing ______? and "When can I |
| you have been using. And if not, maybe you will | | | | expect ______ to be done?" |
| have an "Aha" moment from using this reminder | | | | 28. Use silence as a tool. Sometimes it is just a |
| list. | | | | matter of waiting and listening. |
| 1. You get all of the blame. | | | | 29. Practice brevity when counseling. |
| 2. You get none of the credit. | | | | 30. Become loquacious when singing the praises of |
| 3. You are always talking about the future. | | | | your employee(s) or team (s). |
| 4. Your job is to make your boss look good and | | | | 31. Become improvement driven by seeking small |
| remind him/her of their excellent choice in making | | | | victories. They add up to large accomplishments. |
| you a manager. | | | | 32. Ask forgiveness rather than permission from |
| 5. Make it difficult for your people to fail, as long | | | | time to time. It shows character, judgment and |
| as they stay in the game. | | | | belief in yourself. Just be prepared to |
| 6. Encourage action. | | | | demonstrate the effectiveness of what you did. |
| 7. Become what I refer to as "Obnoxiously | | | | 33. Celebrate the diversity in your workplace. It's |
| Optimistic." | | | | what made us great to begin with. |
| 8. Always complain up the chain. | | | | 34. Never let the Customer see how you run |
| 9. Always praise down the chain. | | | | your circus. They don't need to know. |
| 10. Learn all you can and pass it down. | | | | 35. Recognize that Leadership and Management |
| 11. Prepare everyone to take over your job. | | | | are two different things. |
| 12. Ask your Customers what they think. They | | | | 36. Have compassion. Sometimes, you are all the |
| will tell you the truth. | | | | person in front of you has and they are looking |
| 13. Ask your people what they think. They will tell | | | | to you for answers. |
| you the truth if they trust you, and if theydon't, | | | | 37. Don't do workers work. Let them do it. Show |
| then you know where to start building your team. | | | | them, teach them, coach them and let them. |
| 14. Become judicious in your decisions. | | | | 38. Be conscious of your language. Your |
| 15. Become a MBWA practitioner. If you don't | | | | employees see and hear everything. |
| know what MBWA is, Google it. | | | | 39. Practice consistency in everything you do. |
| 16. Practice principles you believe in. If you are not | | | | 40. Be willing to jump in and lend a hand when |
| sure what your principles are, start by deciding | | | | needed, just not all of the time. See #37. |
| what you value. Then you can find your principles. | | | | 41. Be the first to say Yes to new ideas and new |
| 17. Don't be afraid to say "I made a mistake." | | | | projects. |
| Everybody already knows you did. | | | | 42. Become resilient. |
| 18. Lavish praise when needed. | | | | 43. Take care of yourself physically. |
| 19. Find reasons to celebrate. Then announce a | | | | 44. Have a personal Mission Statement. If you |
| celebration. | | | | have one, you can ask all of your employees to |
| 20. Take an employee to lunch for no reason at | | | | have one as well. |
| all. | | | | 45. Make sure everyone knows the company |
| 21. Practice integrity. It makes things easier. | | | | Mission Statement. |
| 22. Be an employee advocate when needed. | | | | 46. Counsel with your employees more than once |
| Sometimes you have to speak for them when | | | | a year. |
| they cannot. | | | | 47. Use Goals to inspire, not punish. |
| 23. Challenge old ideas and ask your employees to | | | | 48. Be gracious. |
| do the same. | | | | 49. Practice Courtesy with everyone. They will |
| 24. Question information from your sources from | | | | remember you for it. |
| time to time. You might be surprised at what | | | | 50. Say Thank You every chance you get. |
| they are not telling you. | | | | Once a day, go outside and raise your hands, |
| 25. Become curious about everything. Keep asking | | | | take a deep breath and let it out slowly. It will help |
| questions. | | | | the rest of your day. |
| 26. After asking lots of questions, shut up. Listen. | | | | |