TEC Resource Center

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Five Things Strong Managers Know!

 

Managers are key contributors in an organization. They have many responsibilities, but here are 5 responsibilities that effective managers pay close attention to:

  1. Carry out assigned duties: Know and understand what is expected of you from your boss. That means asking questions, checking in, and making sure you are aligned with his/her priorities at all times.
  2. Keep your manager informed: There’s nothing worse than being blind sighted by someone who seems to know more about what is going on in your department than you do. Make sure you do not put your boss in that position. Let him/her know if something is going wrong and how you intend to handle it. If you’re not sure, ask to brainstorm together for possible solutions.
  3. Build employee morale: If your people are disgruntled, you need to address it immediately. One bad apple does spoil the whole bunch. It’s the manager’s responsibility to monitor what is going on in their department, including at the water cooler. If you hear something negative, don’t ignore it and hope it will blow over. Interject yourself. Get to the bottom of it and let the negative person know, that doesn’t fly with you. If they are uncomfortable or know they will be called out for negative behavior, it is less likely they will continue.
  4. Give clear instructions: Communication is a 2 way street. When you give a directive, you are responsible to make sure people really understand what you expect. Of course it’s clear to you; it’s in your brain. But everyone else doesn’t have the same brain. Instead of asking closed questions like, “You got it?” or “Any questions?” try open ended questions like, “So where do you think you’re going to start on this?” Or “What obstacles do you anticipate that might interfere with us completing this on time?” People tend to answer closed ended questions with the yes or no they think you are looking for. You really have no idea whether or not they understood and if you are going to get the results you want.
  5. Cooperate with other departments: Successful managers play nice in the sandbox, even if there’s a bratty kid in there. Focus on the issues and results you want, while keeping in mind that others have responsibilities and goals as well. Listen actively. Find the common ground. Work as a team.

Develop your Manager’s Toolbox by attending one of our public training classes!

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Alignment – Good or Bad?

Alignment – A case study (Actually 2 cases)

How could being in alignment with your team ever be bad? Let me share 2 case studies….

Case #1

We recently visited Vancouver,  BC. From the moment we arrived at our hotel, we felt a sense of welcoming. Our room wasn’t ready yet, but the desk clerk informed us that he had a nice upgrade for us and would give us a call when our room was ready. When we walked into our huge suite (I originally booked a standard harbor view room) it looked like the front of a cruise ship with panoramic windows overlooking the beautiful harbor, without the rocking or cheesy draperies.

At dinner that night, as we were walked to our table, 2 separate people welcomed us to Vancouver. We experienced this type of hospitality literally everywhere we went.  You could see everyone in the hotel was in alignment. I felt like I knew their mission—tourism is our lifeblood, so treat the tourists like gold so they keep coming back and spending money here.  Everyone was in alignment, good alignment.

Case #2

Just bought a new hot tub!  They told us we should have it in about 4 weeks. 6 weeks later, after numerous calls they called to schedule delivery. We told them we would be home on that Friday anytime EXCEPT between 12:00-1:30. They called around 11:30 and said they would be there at 12:30. Really? We reiterated that that was precisely when we would NOT be there. They arrived at 11:59. I am not kidding. We were now late for an appointment.

They were just the delivery company so they could not even help us with starting up the tub. Now we had to make another appointment with the hot tub company for an in-service and startup. We called the company.  “Sure, we’ll be there in 2 weeks.” Are you kidding? We’re 2 months out from our original order date now! No matter who we spoke to at the company, it was the same story….we’re very busy….this is our busiest time of the year…why didn’t you call sooner?… Just fill it up and follow the instructions on the startup kit….. Of course there were no instructions or manual provided with the tub!

That’s what we eventually did since we didn’t want to wait 2 more weeks to use the hot tub.  We received error messages upon starting the tub that they could not explain  on the phone and therefore waited two weeks for their technician to come out.

Since we are in a service business ourselves we decided we should call the owner of the company and share the experience we were having with their store.  Surely he would want to know.  It took about 2 minutes to understand why their staff behaved the way they did.  They were in perfect alignment with the owner.  He literally had an argument with my husband, a very calm guy I might add, and said everything his staff told us was correct.  Several minutes later his wife called…ah, the voice of reason.   Not really.  She started out asking what the problem was, but as soon as we told her the tub was not functioning and we really didn’t want to wait 2 more weeks to use the tub that was already several weeks late, she gave the party line, “Well, I don’t know what you want me to tell you.  We’re very busy.”  It seems everyone was in alignment after all.

Alignment is a powerful thing.  When everyone is rowing in the same direction, the mission and vision of the company is more likely to be achieved.  Alignment is key to the success of an organization.  Business owners and managers have to do more than talk the talk.  They have to walk the walk.  People emulate what they see.  Are you modeling the customer service philosophy you want your team to have?

We have placed a Company Alignment Assessment on our website training page (https://tecresourcecenter.com/tec-training )that will help determine where your company stands in the alignment process.  Feel free to download a copy today.  Getting your team aligned with your vision and values will empower your employees, energize the entire company, and put a smile on the faces of your customers.

 

Thoughts……..

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Do you ever feel like you just can’t let it go?

One of the hardest things for many managers is delegating. Most managers who don’t delegate have 4 basic perspectives:

  • The Perfectionist – clearly no one is going to do it better than me.
  • The Skeptic – no one will take the time and care I will to get it right.
  • The Pacifist – I don’t want to just dump things on them; they are already overloaded.
  • The Scaredy Cat – If I give it to them, it won’t be long until I’m out of a job.

 

let it go, management delegatingMost of us fall into these perspective traps at least one time or another in our management life, and they can be the kiss of death or at the very least, a burden. Here are some things that can help us let go of certain tasks and move on to bigger and better things.

For the perfectionist and the skeptic, you have to realize that sometimes it does not have to be exactly your way for it to be okay. Focus on the objective and challenge your staff to come up with new ways to meet that objective. Work with them to help them learn how to produce the quality output you desire so that you can build trust in them. Unlock the potential in your staff or consider making changes where necessary if you have the wrong people in the wrong slots.

The Pacifist has to take charge and realize the benefit of delegation to the employee and themselves. Even the most mundane tasks should be viewed as a learning experience. Find the benefit to the employee and you will feel less like you are dumping. If you are getting bogged down in the minutia of day to day work, chances are you are missing out on real management opportunities. Rolling up your sleeves when you need to is great, but as a general rule, your staff should be the doers and you should be overseeing.

And for those who fear you could be replaced if someone else can do your job, first realize that everyone is replaceable, and then find other areas that bring higher value to you and let your staff develop as well.

Work to change the way you think of delegation. If you can begin to see delegation as a development too, instead of a threat or something that will be perceived as dumping, you will be able to delegate with confidence. Once you feel confident, make smart choices on what you delegate and to whom. When you are looking for what to “let go,” think of the following 4 types of tasks that are perfect for delegating:

  • Repetitive work
  • Clerical tasks
  • Information collection
  • Meeting representation

To decide who to delegate a task to, conduct a brief analysis of your staff. List their strengths and weaknesses and then delegate accordingly. When you note a weakness, set development plans so they can grow and you can delegate tasks to them in the future.

And remember, delegating a task doesn’t mean you are no longer responsible for it. As a manager, you must set your people up for success and check in to make sure they are getting the delegated task done. In the end, the buck stops with you.

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