The second basic skill of good management is defining clear expectations. Confusion hampers efficiency, focus, teamwork, as well as pride and job satisfaction. Despite consensus on the need for for clarity, research shows that less than 50% of employees claim to know what is expected of them at work.
It's managers who make the difference between clarity and the lack thereof. Good managers begin bringing clarity to the virtually every employee encounter. They do this tactfully, so as not to suggest distrust or disappointment.
The third basic skill of good management involves praise and recognition. Every behavior has a consequence, which will be positive or negative, immediate or future, and certain or uncertain. The least powerful combination of these is a consequence that is negative, future, and uncertain. The most powerful is the exact opposite: positive, immediate, and certain.
To be the most effective as a manager, we must recognize excellence immediately, and praise it. As obvious as tis may seem research shows that less than a third of employees report that they frequently receive recognition for their work. This either means that they either do not often do excellent work, or that their excellent work was not recognized. Neither of these situations is a good thing.
Praise is a creative act, it is a cause of good behavior. Excellence is the result of practice and incremental improvement. Celebrating these gains is a part of the drive toward excellence.
The fourth skill of good management is showing care for your people. Research studies show that employees are more productive when they feel that someone at work cares about them. This is a causal link; employees who feel cared about are less likey to call in sick, have on-the-job accidents, file workers' compensation claims, steal from the company, or quit, and they are more likely to advocate for the company to family and friends.
Mastery of these skills won't guarantee that you are a great manager, but doing so will assure that you are a good one. These skills will come naturally to some people, but will be more of a challenge to others. Knowing what you need to do to achieve excellence as a manager is the first step in winning the battle.
Adapted from: Buckingham, Marcus, The One Thing You Need to Know ...About Great Managing, Great Leading, and Sustained Individual Success. New York: Free Press, 2005, pp 73-125.
The third basic skill of good management involves praise and recognition. Every behavior has a consequence, which will be positive or negative, immediate or future, and certain or uncertain. The least powerful combination of these is a consequence that is negative, future, and uncertain. The most powerful is the exact opposite: positive, immediate, and certain.
To be the most effective as a manager, we must recognize excellence immediately, and praise it. As obvious as tis may seem research shows that less than a third of employees report that they frequently receive recognition for their work. This either means that they either do not often do excellent work, or that their excellent work was not recognized. Neither of these situations is a good thing.
Praise is a creative act, it is a cause of good behavior. Excellence is the result of practice and incremental improvement. Celebrating these gains is a part of the drive toward excellence.
The fourth skill of good management is showing care for your people. Research studies show that employees are more productive when they feel that someone at work cares about them. This is a causal link; employees who feel cared about are less likey to call in sick, have on-the-job accidents, file workers' compensation claims, steal from the company, or quit, and they are more likely to advocate for the company to family and friends.
Mastery of these skills won't guarantee that you are a great manager, but doing so will assure that you are a good one. These skills will come naturally to some people, but will be more of a challenge to others. Knowing what you need to do to achieve excellence as a manager is the first step in winning the battle.
Adapted from: Buckingham, Marcus, The One Thing You Need to Know ...About Great Managing, Great Leading, and Sustained Individual Success. New York: Free Press, 2005, pp 73-125.
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