May 7th, 2010 — team building
The Importance of the Team
It is a no brainer that when people work together as a team better decisions are made than if the individual team members were working alone. Two heads are better than one, as they say. Yesterday’s manager could have been an expert in all areas of his or her field and may have been able to tell direct reports exactly what to do to complete a task. With today’s fast paced world and technology, managers do not necessarily know all the detail. In fact, good managers will have people working under them that do the job better than they do. It follows that the real skill that a manager needs is to be able to have good teambuilding skills to guide, drive and inspire his or her team to success.
Building Team Spirit
In order to build team spirit, the following five factors are essential.
- Open Communication – Being able to have open, honest communication is very important for creating successful teams. Next time you observe a team strongly disagreeing with one another as to the best way to improve a product or service, take a moment to realise that this is actually a great team at work. One that is passionate about achieving the best outcome.
- Empowerment – When you empower team members to make the final decisions with regards to the work they are doing, they become more confident in their abilities and will take greater pride in their work. Be careful to ensure that the team is ready for empowerment though. If not, it could spell disaster.
- Clear Roles & Responsibilities – As a manager you need to make sure that each team member’s roles and responsibilities are clearly defined. They need to know what is expected of them and each other. This prevents overlapping of work and handballing responsibilities, which often leads to one person doing more work than another to pick up the slack.
- Effective Leadership – You need to set clear goals for each team member, give continual feedback emphasising the positive more than the negative, share examples of your personal mistakes to relate to the team and encourage team members to share their views and opinions where there is a conflict.
- Reward & Accountability System – It is very important that people are held accountable for their responsibilities within a team. By the same token, people need to be rewarded for their individual as well as their team contributions. It’s not about trying to single one person out or rewarding one person more than the others. Take a look at the most successful sports teams where members earn more based on the position or their achievements.
(Not sure how to start communicating openly with your team? Try using an icebreaker.)
March 4th, 2010 — management
Historically, two management styles have dominated the workforce. Neither alone will make you an effective manager. You need to realize that you need to utilize more than just two management styles and become an alert manager.
Dictator (aka Hitler)
Some first time managers are thrown into the deep end and believe that they have to begin acting as if they know everything. After all, their direct reports will be looking to them for leadership. They start to act like “the boss”.
These dictator or autocrat managers make most decisions and expect their staff to jump when they are told what to do. They harbor fear in the workplace and generate fear and resentment throughout the office. The dictators make people believe that they are working for someone.
The Diplomat
Diplomatic managers know that spending the time up front to explain the what and why with their direct reports will reap benefits in the long run. They cause people to want to work that extra bit harder because employees are left feeling cared for and respected. They feel feel that they are working with someone.
While the autocrat/dictator thinks that the diplomat is a wimp, the diplomat thinks that the autocrat is too authoritative in management.
Why You Need To Be “Alert”
A manager needs to be alert and exercise a balance between control and encouragement. Each employee is different. As a manager, you need to determine what each employee needs from you in order to perform at their best. You need to be alert to their needs.
People can be
- very motivated, but lack the skills or knowledge to succeed;
- lacking motivation, but have the necessary skills;
- motivated and perform well, need little control or encouragement;
- lacking both ability and willingness to perform; or
- average in all areas
A change in situation or work environment can trigger a change in an employee from one “attitude” to the other. Being alert and aware of the needs of your direct reports can make a huge difference for you as a manager.
February 22nd, 2010 — first time manager, management
At a basic level, there are four personality types that managers display. Some managers have a distinct personality style while others tend to have a combination of a couple. If you can identify the personality style of your managers, you will be better equiped at dealing with your superiors.
The Monopolizer
Monopolizers are fast decision makers. They stick to all decisions they make, rightly or wrongly, and they like to be in charge of everything. If you work for one of these managers you need to be direct with your communication – have all the facts and be clear and assertive. You will also need to be prepared to take action on their decision, whether you like it or not.
The Methodical
The managers with the methodical personality style are those that are more analytic. They like to have information from multiple sources before committing to a decision. If you work with a methodical manager, you may find yourself being asked for suggestions as to the best course of action. Make sure that you are able to demonstrate that you have considered your proposal and can explain the reasoning and logic to them.
The Motivators
These managers seem to have good relationships with everyone in the company. They are often creative and have a high energy. Often, work takes a backseat to the socializing around the office. If you need to get their attention you may need to ask them about their weekend or children before getting down to business.
The Mixers
Mixers shy away from conflict and they are resistant to change. They are patient, sympathetic, understanding and are probably more concerned with the needs of others or how people are going than the work itself. You might need to communicate with them with particular emphasis on feelings and teamwork.
