| What makes a "good" manager"?
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| | success. It can serve as the basis for
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| First of all, what is management? The
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| | decision making. If you bounce an idea
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| dictionary defines management as "the act
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| | off the mission statement and it sticks,
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| or art of managing: the conducting or
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| | you might do it. Otherwise, forget it.
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| supervising of something (as a
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| | For example, if you are in the business
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| business).". Sounds about right. But
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| | of developing the worlds best diagnostic
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| then, Atilla the Hun was a manager of
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| | software, you are not going to open a
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| sorts. Clearly, there is a big
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| | resturant to raise extra cash. That
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| difference between being a manager and
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| | would be way outside the mission
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| being a "good" manager who has earned the
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| | statement. See the point? All tactical
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| respect of the people.
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| | decisions should fit within the mission
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| It is interesting that the formal
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| | statement.
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| definition of management includes the
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| | Next, a "good" manager is a strategic
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| word "art", because in some respects, it
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| | thinker. The manager should have at
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| is an art as much as a science. Just
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| | least a five to ten year view of the
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| about anyone can learn the basic
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| | future. Where does the organization want
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| mechanics of becoming a manager.
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| | to be in five years and tactically, what
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| However, there is a certain amount of
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| | needs to be done today, tomorrow, next
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| mystery in defining that extra dimension
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| | week or next month to get there? Nothing
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| of skills and traits that elevates
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| | can undermine a manager faster than
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| certain people to a status of "good"
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| | having the organization perceive that the
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| manager. What is it?
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| | manager has no idea of direction.
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| Part of it is charisma. Charisma is a
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| | Then, there is integrity. A manager has
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| sort of magical quality of magnetic charm
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| | to be seen by his superiors and his
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| or appeal that makes people want to
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| | employees as being honest and forthright
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| follow the person who has it. Strong
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| | and doesn't play silly political games.
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| interpersonal skills are certainly
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| | No one likes a sleazy character that
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| critical to the creation of charisma, but
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| | cannot be trusted, especially if that
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| are by no means the only ingredient. The
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| | person is in charge of the careers of
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| perception of charisma must be earned
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| | people. Would you?
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| through accomplishment.
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| | The "good" manager fights for his/her
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| A strong leader gains the respect of his
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| | people and they know it. Everyone knows
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| her people by actions. Principal among
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| | that outstanding performers are amply
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| those actions is the involvement of the
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| | rewarded and substandard performers are
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| organization in decision making. How
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| | penalized or eliminated. People know
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| many times have you heard someone say,
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| | that the decisions made by the manager
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| "If I was running the show, I sure
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| | well thought out and are in the best
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| wouldn't do it that way!"? It is
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| | interest of the organization. An
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| important that the manager has the
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| | employee may not like the fact that the
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| mechanisms in place that allow ideas to
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| | manager had to cut their pet project out
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| bubble up from all corners of the
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| | of the budget. But if the employee is in
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| organization. No matter how smart we
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| | tune with the organization, he/she will
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| think we are as managers, we certainly
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| | understand why it had to be done.
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| don't know everything. Many of the very
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| | A "good" manager is highly selective when
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| best ideas come from the people on the
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| | building the "culture" the organization.
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| front line of the day to day business.
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| | People hired should "fit" the collective
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| We have to have a way for people to
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| | personality of the organization. Loners
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| express those ideas and get rewarded for
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| | and hotheads should not be merged into an
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| their contributions if the idea pans
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| | organization of people who genuinely like
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| out. Delegating many of the day to day
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| | each other and work well together. Think
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| tactical decisions in no way undermines
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| | about the best sports teams. The very
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| the manager's authority or responsibility
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| | best ones are those where the members are
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| for the bigger picture. Remember this:
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| | more like family than team mates.
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| If people have enthusiastic ownership of
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| | Finally, the "good" manager will spend
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| an idea, their idea, they WILL make it
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| | the extra time to collect the information
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| work, even if it is a BAD idea. If not,
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| | necessary to show how valuable the
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| they can torpedo even a GOOD idea.
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| | organization is to the company. This can
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| Recognizing people for their
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| | take any number of forms such as cost
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| contributions is one of the surest ways
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| | savings, cost avoidance, improved
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| to secure employee loyalty and to earn
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| | process, improved productivity, and so
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| the perception that the manager is smart
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| | on. Then the manager makes sure everyone
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| enough to understand that he/she doesn't
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| | knows about it, from top to bottom. It
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| know everything. Recognition and rewards
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| | is vital that the people feel they are
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| are not necessarily monetary. In some
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| | important and are making a contribution
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| cases, simple public recognition is all
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| | to the overall success of the company.
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| that is required. Recognition nurtures
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| | There is no magic formula for becoming a
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| the ego and differientiates people from
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| | "good" manager and the points mentioned
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| their peers. Recognition just makes a
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| | above are certainly not an exhaustive
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| person feel good and stimulates the
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| | list. Some of it is instinct, but it
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| desire to have it happen again.
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| | mostly stems from the gut-level
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| If a manager utilizes the people to help
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| | understanding that the most important
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| develop the organization's mission
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| | thing in an organization is its people.
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| statement, then the people will follow.
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| | Treat people with respect and dignity and
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| Having a solid and workable mission
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| | you will get that back in spades.
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| statement is critical to organizational
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