becoming an effective manager

8/4/2019 Becoming an Effective Manager

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A.BECOMING AN EFFECTIVE MANAGERHOW TO IMPRESS HIGH-LEVEL MANAGERS

Your exposure to higher level managers is usually limited, so you need to make a good impression when

you have the opportunity. After all, the managers above your boss can affect your pay, promotions,

assignments, and even your job security. Whetever they are in business, government, or the non-profit

sector, all executives appreciate certain things. Here are a few ways to make the most of your encounters

with the higher-ups.

1. Consider the big pictures. The higher you go in an organization, the wider the view. Executivesreally appreciate employees who think about issues beyond their own narrow job description. If

you seem to understand and care about larger organizational goals, you will make a positive

impression.2. Collaborate across function. Part of seeing the bigger picture is recognizing how your job

function connects to others. All too often employees and lower-level managers get stuck in their

solos and focus only on their own objectives. But high-level managers want different functions

to work together to achieve organizational goals.

3. Be smart about money. All high-level managers are concerned about money in one way oranother, whetever its increasing sales, reducing costs, managing budgets, or insuring overall

profitability. If you show concern for finances, top managers will know that you appreciate the

issues that they must deal with on a regular basis.4. Ask intelligent questions. Executives appreciate employees who take an interest in the business,

and they usually love to share their knowledge or perspective. When you have a chance to

interact with the managers above your boss, try to have a few well-thought-out questions ready.

5. Propose solutions. Managers constantly hear about problems, so they really appreciate peoplewho focus on solving them. Even if an executive doesnt agree with your ideas, the fact that you

think about solutions will be viewed positively.

6. Share interesting information. Even thought executives have a broader view, they know littleabout the everyday details of most functions. And they are usually quite interested in hearingmore about whats going on. Any new information about customers, employees, finances, or

projects will usually be greeted with interest.

7. Be succinct. Executives have limited time, so dont expect them to sit through lengthydescriptions of projects or problems. Be prepared to convey your information quickly and

concisely. If they wan to know more, they will ask.

8. Disagree respectfully. Most high-level managers have little respect for wimps. On the otherhand, they expect people to respect their position and their authority. So presenting different view

will often be viewed positively, as long as you are non-confrontational and respectful.9. Make effective presentations. Whenever you present information to an executive, you have a

chance to make a positive impression. Many people make bad presentations, so good ones really

stand out. If you are unsure of your presentation skill, read up the topic or study people who do it

well.


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Why Bother with Strategic Planning?

Do you really need to do strategic planning? Only if you care about the future of your organization. As an

old saying states, If you dont know where youre going, then youll probably end up somewhere else.

The primary purpose of strategic planning is to identify critical priorities that must be addressed to insure

a successful future. Here are some things that you can learn through the planning process:

What your customers like about your products or services and what they dislike. Why customers might decide to take their business elsewhere. How your future success could be derailed or enhanced by upcoming changes in the business

environment.

Where the quality of work may be suffering in your organization. Why employees may decide to leave your organization and pursue their careers elsewhere. Whetever you current allocation of human and financial resources is in line with your goals. How you can do a better job of holding people accountable for results.At the strategic level, the planning process take a big picture look at the organization, studying external

trends and changes as well as internal strengths and weaknesses. At the end of strategic planning process,

you will have agreed on limited number of Strategic Priorities & Goals that need to be addressed over the

next three to five years.

WHAT QUESTIONS DO YOU NEED TO ASK?

Essentially, strategic planning is about answering questions. The most important questions to ask depend

upon your current circumstances. The relevant questions may therefore change from one planning cycle

to the next. Here are some of the questions you may want to address.

ESTABLISHING HE FOUNDATION

To plant effectively, you must know why your organization exists and what you hope to accomplish in

the future.

Mission: What is our purpose? Why was this organization created and what are we here to do?

Vision: Considering our purpose, what results do we hope to have accomplished three to five yearsfrom now?

Stakeholders: Who are we here to serve? Whose interest must we consider as we work towards ourpurpose?

Values: What do we believe about the way we should do our work? What are our ethical principles? Core functions: To accomplish our purpose successfully, what must our organization be able to do

well?

ASSESSING THE CURRENT SITUATION

To be successful, organizations must have the internal capability to respond effectively to their external

environment. Therefore, an important aspect of planning is identifying trends outside the organization and

evaluating effectiveness inside the organization.

Environmental Scan: What change or trends may affect us in the next three to five years? Internal Assessment: Considering our purpose and our environment, what are our strengths and

weaknesses?


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DEFENING YOUR FOCUS

Having identified your purpose, your hopes for the future, and the critical factors in your current situation,

you will be better equipped to sharpen your focus on during the next three to five years.

Strategic Priorities: Given all available information, what things must you focus on in order to besuccessful?

Goals: For each priority area, what are the specific results that you hope to accomplish?

ORGANIZING FOR SUCCESS

Once you know what you need to be doing, then you must be sure that your structures and processes will

help you accomplish desired results.

Organizational Structure: Are you organized correctly for the results you want to achieve? Critical Processes: Do your critical work processes operate effectively and efficiently? Outcome Measures: What indicators will let you know if you are successful in carrying out your

purpose?

Once you have completed the strategic planning process, you are then ready to develop your Operating

Plan for the first year. An Operating Plan contains the specific objectives and action steps needed to

accomplish your strategic goals. While strategic planning is done every three to five years, operational

planning is done at the beginning of each year. Goals and objectives for each department or unit should

grow out of the annual Operating Plan. Both strategic and operational planning are necessary for long-

term success.

CHOOSING A DECISION-MAKING STRATEGY

Decision-making involves more than processing information. It is also an interpersonal process. You must

decide how to involve others in making the decision or whether to include them at all. Your decision-

making strategy should be influenced by these four variables: (1) availability of information, (2)

superiority of one decision, (3) acceptance of the decision by others, (4) amount of time to decide.

Five possible approaches to decision-making are listed below, with indicators for choosing each one.

Option 1: MAKE THE DECISION BY YOURSELF.

Reasons to use this strategy: You have all the information you need. You already know which decision is

likely to be best. Acceptance by others is not important. A decision must be made quickly.

Option 2: GET INFORMATION FROM OTHERS, THEN DECIDE BY YOURSELF.

Reasons to use this strategy: You lack critical information that others have. With this information, you

will be able to tell which decision is best. Acceptance by others is not important. A decision must be

made quickly.

Option 3: BEFORE DECIDING, CONSULT WITH OTHERS ONE-ON-ONE TO GET THEIR

VIEWS.

Reasons to use this strategy: The best decision is not clear. Others may have conflicting views or different

priorities. Hearing different perspectives will help you make a better decision. Including others in the

process will increase acceptance of the decision. A group discussion would not be helpful. You have time

for consultation.


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Option 4: BEFORE DECIDING, HAVE A GROUP DISCUSSION TO EXPLORE OPTIONS.

Reasons to use this strategy: The best decision is not clear. Others may have conflicting views or different

priorities. You need to hear other perspectives to make a good decision. Having a group discussion will

allow more possibilities to be explored. Hearing the views of others will help group members understand

and accept the decision. Group decision is logistically possible. You have time for group participation.

Option 5: ASK THE GROUP TO REACH A CONSENSUS INDEPENDENTLY

Reasons to use this strategy: The best decision is not clear. You have no strong preferences. Group

members share your priorities and can agree on common goals. Group members have all relevant

information. The group has a big stake in the outcome. Acceptance by the group is important. The group

has a history of working well together. Group discussion is logistically possible. You have time for

consensus-building.

Making good decisions depends not only on locating all necessary information, but also on involving the

right people in the right way. If you tend to overuse one or two of the above strategies, look for

appropriate occasions to try a different approach.

What Causes Performance Problems?

Managers become very frustrated with employee performance problems, but ofte n dont take time to do

detective work on the cause. Before talking with someone about the performance issue, give somethought to possible reasons for the problem. And heres a key point to consider: as the manager, you may

inadvertently be contributing to the situation. Every job is the responsibility of two people: the employee,

who is accountable for producing desired results, and the manager, who creates the environment in which

the employee works. When confronted with the performance issue, the questions below may help your

short things out.

THE KEY QUESTION

Is it an Ability Problem or Motivation Problem?

This is the most fundamental question about performance issue, because ability problems and motivation

problems need to be addressed quite differently. Heres the differentiating question: if you put a gun the

persons head (which is not recommended), could they produce the correct performance? If they could,

then the ability is not the issue.

When the employee does not have the ability to do the work, then no amount of recognition, punishment,

or encouragement will make it happen. However, if the person has the ability, but is simply not

motivated, then training and skills coaching is a waste of time and money.

ABILITY QUESTIONS

1. Does the employee have sufficient resources?

If and employee doesnt have the time, money, equipment, access to people, or whatever, then it may be

impossible to deliver desired results no matter how much they want to.

2. Are obstacles or barriers preventing good performance?


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When its difficult to obtain the final decision, get collaboration from another department, or overcome

any other obstacle, results may be difficult to accomplish.

3. Have expectations and priorities been clearly explained?

If its not clear whats desired in terms of quality, quantity, speed, or any other performance dimension,

then odds are the expectations wont be met. Its absolutely amazing how often this is the source of

performance issues. Although managers usually think they have been clear and specific, the message

often doesnt get through for one reason or another.

4. Does the employee have the skills needed to produce desired results?

Have employees had sufficient training? Coaching? Enough time to get through the learning curve? Or

are they expected to just sink or swim? Ifsomeone doesnt have the skills or enough time to learn the

skillsthen they cant do the work.

5. Does the employee have the innate talent for this type of work?

When someone is a complete mismatch for the job, then all the skills training in the world will be of no

help at all. People wander into career choices in all kinds of ways, with the result that some turn out to be

square pegs in round-hole jobs. If this is the case, then the manager needs to kindly help the person find a

more suitable type of work.

MOTIVATION QUESTIONS

6. Does the employee understand why performance is important?

Manager dont always share reasons with employees. They sometime assume that the importance of a

task or policy should be obvious. Or that just telling someone to do something is sufficient. But

assumptions are always dangerous. A simple explanation of the reason for the requests, goals, or work

standards will sometimes resolve motivation issues.

7. Is good performance being recognized and rewarded?

When managers want to encourage particular behaviors or results, they need to express appreciation. If no

one says thanks or good job, then its easy for an employee to assume that the task isnt very

important.

8. Are there negative consequences for poor performance?

Managers sometimes unintentionally reward the very behavior they dont want. How? By failing to take

any action to stop it. When you have a problem with someones behavior or results, you need to tell them.

Otherwise, they will likely assume everything is okay. And if you tell them, but nothing changes, then

adverse consequences need to follow.

9. Is the employee angry or resentful about something?

When some is afraid to address an issue directly, they may demonstrate their anger or resentment through

their behavior. This is called a passive-aggressive response. Angry employees may passive-

aggressively express displeasure by putting less energy into their work. If possible, the manager should

explore and resolve the cause of the resentment in addition to addressing the performance issue.


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10. Is the employees bored or burned out?

Being burned out or bored does not give an employee a get-out-of-jail-free card. They are still expected

to do the work. But motivated employees produce better results, so managers should work with these

employees to help them get reenergized. And if thats not possible, then it may be time to restructure their

job or help them consider a different type of work.

Once you have considered the possible cause of an employee performance problem, then you need to

have a coaching discussion with the person.

THE SIGNS OF OFFECTIVE LEADERSHIP

1. THE GOALS ARE CLEAR

The purpose, plan, and key priorities are clearly communicated to all concerned.

2. EVERYONE UNDERSTANDS THE BUSINESS

All employees have an understanding of the type of work done by the organization.

3. PEOPLE HELP EACH OTHER

Coworkers have collaborative and supportive working relationship.

4. NEW IDEAS HAVE A CHANCE TO GROW

Suggestions and ideas are discussed and explored, not criticized and killed.

5. NO ONE GETS UPSET ABOUT SMALL STUFF

People focus on real issues, not minor irritants or nit-picky details.

6. MISTAKES ARE NOT HIDDEN

Errors are seen as opportunities to learn, so people dont fear being punished for them.

7. PROBLEMS ARE ADDRESSED AND RESOLVED

People do not waste energy on blaming and fault-finding, but take the initiative to find solutions.

8. DESIRED RESULTS ARE ACHIEVED

Most importantly, the organization succeeds in fulfilling its mission and achieving its goals.

9. CREDIT IS SHARED APPROPRIATELY

Everyone is recognized and appreciated for their part in the organizations achievements.

10. SUCCESSES ARE CELEBRATED!

The group takes time to reflect on their successes and celebrate their accomplishments.

INTERESTING INTERVIEW QUESTIONS

HOW TO DEVELOP USEFUL INTERVIEW QUESTIONS

Developing effective questions is the key to a successful employment interview. Questions usually fall

into two categories: (1) standard questions for all candidates and (2) individual questions that are

developed from each persons application or resume.

I. TYPES OF INTERVIEW QUESTIONS

A. Commonly-Asked Questions

Anyone who has ever applied for a job knows that certain questions show up in interview after interview:

What are your goals? What are your strengths and weaknesses? What do you know about our company?


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One of the reasons these questions are frequently asked is that they do focus on useful information. The

problem, however, is that candidates are asked them so often that they usually have well-rehearsed

answers.

When you want to ask a common question, try to give it a slightly different twist. Change it to an

Experience Question or Predictive Question (discussed below) or simply ask it in a different way. Here

are some examples:

COMMON QUESTION: What did you like about your last job?

REVISED QUESTION: Give me an example of a time that you felt really excited about your

work.

COMMON QUESTION: What do you know about our company?

REVISED QUESTION: Why are you interested in working for this company?

COMMON QUESTION: What are your goals?

REVISED QUESTION: How do you feel this job would help you achieve your career goals?

B. Experience Questions

Experience Questions are designed to relate the applicants past experiences to your current needs by

asking for specific examples from their work history. Because the best predictor of future performance is

past performance, experience questions are usually the best way to get information about ability,

motivation, and fit. Here are some examples of experience questions:

Think of someone you found it hard to work with in the past. What made that relationshipdifficult?

If you could have made one suggestion to management in your last job, what would it be? What about yourself would you like to improve? Give an example of how these characteristics

have caused you problems in the past.

C. Predictive Questions

Sometimes an experience question may be difficult to use because the applicant has not worked in similar

circumstances. In that case, you may want to pose a hypothetical question which asks how the applicant

would handle a particular type a situation. Although this does not necessarily predict what they would

actually do, it does let you know how they view the problem and what options they consider. Here are

some examples of predictive questions:

I understand that you have worked mostly with customers who have technical background. Howwould you explain the major features of your companys product to a customer with no technical

knowledge?

Your previous teaching experience has been with children, but this position involves teachingadults. If you were developing a workshop for adult learners, what might you need to do

differently?

D. Follow-Up Questions

As an interviewer, your goal is to learn much as possible about the applicant. You will therefore use

follow-up questions to further explore the answers you are given to questions in your interview plan. As

applicants answer your questions, listen for points that you want them to clarify or expand, then ask a


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follow-up question to get additional information. You may also plan in advance to ask a follow-up to

some of your standard questions, as in the example below.

INITIAL QUESTION: What do you do to try to calm down angry customers?

FOLLOW-UP QUESTION: How do you handle customers who wont calm down?

II. CHARACTERISTICS OF GOOD QUESTIONS

A. Neutral

All too often, managers ask questions which provide lots of clues about the right answer. To encourage

unbiased responses from the applicant, your questions must be neutral that is, they must not reveal the

answer you want.

BAD QUESTION: Would you be able to travel about 50% of the time?

BETTER QUESTION: How much do you travel in your current job? Ideally, how much travel would

you like to have in a job? How much travel would be too much for you?

B. Job-related

Interview questions should be developed from the requirements of the job. Questions directly related to

the job are also legally safer. Legally, questions about the applicants personal life, hobbies, family,

finances, and non-work activities are hazardous.

BAD QUESTION: Do you have small children?

BETTER QUESTION: What caused you to miss work in the past? What might limit your ability to

travel?

C. Open-ended

You will gain more information from questions that start with words like who, what, how, tell me about,

describe, etc. avoid questions that can be answered with a yes or no.

BAD QUESTION: Do you like your present job?

BETTER QUESTION: What do you find most rewarding about your present job?

D. Non-threatening

Applicants provide more information when they are relaxed. Since job interviews are uncomfortable for

many people, try to avoid questions that will make them more anxious.

BAD QUESTION: Why do you change jobs so often?

BETTER QUESTION: For your last three jobs, tell me why you took them and why you left them.

Sample Interview Questions

Ability

Describe your qualifications for this job. Describe two or three things that you learned from your last (or present) job. What have you learned in school that would help you in this job? Give me some examples of the kinds of decisions you made in your last job. What is the biggest mistake youve made during your career? Describe some difficult problems that you have had to deal with. In your last (or present) job, what did you spend most of your time on? What are your special abilities? How have they helped you succeed in the past?


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Control Involvement

Setting goals Clarifying expectations Providing direction Giving information Defining roles Answering questions Organizing and structuring Making decisions

Listening Asking opinions Providing encouragement Getting feedback Trying new ideas Facilitating discussions Developing relationships Sharing decision making

All managers need to use Control and Involvement behaviors in different combinations and at different

times. Knowing when to use each of these behaviors appropriately is one of the keys to being an effective

manager.

B. The Developmental Leadership Model

The Developmental Leadership Model combines Control and Involvement behaviors into four different

leadership styles. These styles are not innately good or bad the key is to use the right style at the right

timeand with the right person. The four styles are shown in the table below.

LEADERSHIP STYLES

High CONTROL Low

Consulting

Reviewing work Answering questions Active supervision Input on decisions

Participating

Sharing perspectives Discussing ideas General supervision Mutual decisions

Directing

Defining tasks Giving instruction Close supervision Management decisions

Delegating

Agreeing on results Allowing autonomy Little supervision Independent decisions

Identifying Your Style Preferences

Rank the four styles according to your level of comfort with each one. Give a 4 to the style with which you

are most comfortable, a 3 to the next most comfortable, and so on. Then discuss with your group members

the reasons why you prefer your highest-ranked style and why you may tend to avoid your lowest-ranked

style.

2. CHOOSING THE APPROPRIATE STYLE FOR EACH EMPLOYEE

Successful managers learn that they must treat their employees both the same and differently! You want

to be consistent and not show favoritism, but at the same time you need to change your leadership to meet

each employees individual needs.

High

Low

INVOLVEMENT


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MASTERING THE DELEGATION PROCESS

Delegation means achieving results by giving someone else the authority to do work for which you are

ultimately responsible. Despite the fact that delegation has many benefits, the process also has some

potential pitfalls, so you need to use a delegation process that will minimize the risk and maximize the

rewards. Consider these questions in deciding whether to delegate to task or project.

Do I really have to do this myself? Who else has the ability to do this? Who might benefit from learning to do this? What is the worst thing that may happen if I delegate this? How can I prevent that from happening? Who has the biggest stake in the outcome? Who really owns this problem?

Seven Steps to Effective Delegation

Delegation can be risk and nerve-wracking if done badly, because you may find that you dont get the

expected results. However, by following the steps outlined below, you can usually insure that you will

achieve desired results and both you and the employee will be satisfied with the process.

1. Define your desired results.2. Select an appropriate employee.3. Determine the level of delegation.4. Clarify expectations and set parameters.5. Give authority to match level of responsibility.6. Provide background information.7. Arrange for feedback during the process.

The level of delegation referred to in Step 3 relates to the amount of decision -making authority the

person will have. Here are the five options to consider for level of delegation:

Take action independently. No need to report back. Take action, but report back to me when you do. Recommend the action you think should be taken. Wait for my approval. Give me several possible alternative actions and recommend one. Gather information about the pros and cons of different options.

Characteristics of Effective Delegators

Effective delegation requires not only a structured process, as described above, but also the proper

attitude on the part of manager. Some characteristics of an effective delegator are described below.

Develops trusting relationships with employees. Is able to let go of detail work. Can let others make decisions. Focuses on desired results, not methods. Is open to new ideas and approaches. Helps people learn from their mistakes. Feel rewarded by the success of others.


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CONDUCTING MOTIVATIONAL PERFORMANCE REVIEWS

Most performance reviews should be a pleasant and productive experience. After all, this is probably one

of the few times that you spend and extended time focusing on a persons job and discussing it with them.

The performance review should focus on four primary areas:

Past job performance Future plans and expectations Developmental goals Employee needs and concerns

The following questions reflect the concern that employees typically have about appraisals.

Will it be scheduled in advance? Will be there be enough time for a real discussion? Will it be private? With no interruptions? Will it be kept confidential?Do I know what expectations I will be evaluated on? Were they communicated in advance?Have I beengiven ongoing feedback so that there wont be any surprises?Does my manager know what my job involves? Will the evaluation be honest? Will it be fair and unbiased? Will my manager listen to what I have to say?If my manager has made a mistake, will it be admitted? Will we talk about the things that I do well? Will I be given specific examples of any problems? Will I feel free to discuss the evaluation and my reaction to it? Will we discuss developmental opportunities for me?

Making It a Two-Way Conversation

A useful performance review should be a two-way discussion about the employees job. The following

list of questions may give some useful ideas for encouraging employee participation.

Job Responsibilities What do you see as the major responsibilities of your job?

Which are most important? Least important? Why?

What takes the most time?

What do you like best about your job? Least?

What would you change about your job?

Expectations What accomplishments are you most pleased out?

What has contributed to your success in these areas?

In some areas has it been difficult to reach your objectives?

How could I help you with these areas in the future?

Strengths What do you consider to be your strong points?

How do these abilities help you in your job?

Are there ways we could use your talents more effectively?

Areas for Improvement In what areas do you feel you could do a more effective job?

What have you been doing to improve in these areas?

How could I be of help to you?

Development What abilities would you like to develop or improve?

What developmental opportunities would be helpful to you?


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A Road Map for the Appraisal Meeting

The following guidelines can help you structure a normal appraisal discussion that is, one dealing with

generally acceptable performance, even though some improvement may be needed. If performance is

poor enough to require corrective action, however, this approach will not be appropriate.

Starting the Discussion

Before the meeting: Consider giving the employee the review form to read in advance. Created a relaxed atmosphere at the beginning of the discussion. Give the employee an overview of how the discussion will be structured. (For example, First, Id

like for us to talk about each of the goals that you had for last year and the results that were

achieved. Then we can discussion the performance factors listed on the form. Finally, Id like to

review your goals for this year and talk about professional development activities.)

If others were part of the appraisal process, indicate how their input was gathered and used.

Discussing Job Performance

If the employee has not read their review in advance, tell them their overall rating, since thats usuallywhat employees are most concerned about. Indicate that the reasons for the rating will be discussed as

you go through the various parts of the appraisal.

If the employee did read the review in advance, ask if they had any questions about it. If they havegeneral questions, answer them. If they say they did not understand the rating they got, indicate that

the reasons for the rating will be discussed as you go through the various parts of the appraisal. If

their questions relate to specific goals or performance factors, make a note of them and indicate that

you would like to include their questions in the discussion of each separate area.

Talk about one goal, objective, or performance area at a time. Discuss strengths and needs forimprovement in each area. This is better than simply giving an overview of the persons strengths and

weaknesses, since it relates your comments to specific job performance.

Ask for employee input in each area. If a self-appraisal was done, incorporate the employeescomments into your discussion. You may ask them to elaborate on their written remarks.

In any area requiring improvement, ask how you can help.

Performance Planning

Agree on expectations and goals for the upcoming year (or review those that have already been set). Discuss plans for professional development.

Summarizing the Discussion

Summarize the employees strengths and developmental needs. Review any action steps that were agreed upon (for either the employee or yourself). Establish

follow-up dates.

Express appreciation to the employee (for anything you sincerely do appreciate).


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BUILDING EFFECTIVE MANAGEMENT TEAM

A. The Management Team Research Project

To find out what makes a management team effective, we studied more than 500 members of 72

management groups in both business and government. The terms were surveyed using the Team

Effectiveness Assessment for Management (TEAM), an instrument develop specifically to assess

management groups. Teams rated in the top 25% on these effectiveness measures were compared with

those in the bottom 25% to determine which characteristics differentiated successful from unsuccessful

teams.

B. What Is a Management Team?

Management Team usually refers to a group of managers at the same organizational level who report to

the same person. They meet regularly to share information and make decisions that affect the whole

organization or department. Management teams are part of an organizations formal leadership structure.

Management teams usually share the following characteristics:

The teams primary purpose is to make decisions that guide organizational operations. All team members hold leadership positions in the organization. Team membership and leadership are determined by position, not selection. Members often need to work together outside the team setting. Members can be more effective individually by sharing information with one another.Small enterprises may have only one management team, while large organizations have several teams at

each layer of their hierarchy.

C. Types of Management Teams

Management teams are found in business, government, and non-for-profit organizations. Many

management teams fall into one of the following categories:

Executive team: The top management group in organization. Line management team:Managers who run departments that produce, deliver, or sell the

organizations products or service.

Staff management team:Managers who run departments who exist to support the line functions.Staff departments have knowledge and abilities in specialized areas, such as information systems,

human resources, etc.

Board or Council:A formal group that meets periodically for join decision-making. Membershave no other connection as a group. Boards usually provide governance and oversight, while

Councils offer input, advice, and coordination of activities.

D. Barriers to Creating a Leadership Team

To many people, management team sounds like an oxymoron. In fact, turning a group ofmanagers intoan effective leadership team is no easy task, for several reasons:

Management personalities: Management work tends to attract people who are analytical,action-oriented, and high on need for control. (This generalization does not apply to all

managers, but is true of managers as an occupational group). These characteristic are often

helpful in management, but usually do not enhance teamwork.

Conflicting interests: Each management team member is responsible for a separateorganizational unit. These units often have conflicting goals, interests, and needs.


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Power relationships:Management teams are embedded in a complex network of organizationalrelationships, which greatly affect their ability to produce results. To be effective, they must

successfully manage relationships upward, downward, and laterally.

Group decision-making: Because their primary purpose is to make decision, management teammembers must continually try to reach agreement in critical issues. Conflicting interests can

make this process especially difficult.

E. Promoting Positive Relationships

A collaborative decision-making climate does not emerge overnight. Team members require time to

become familiar with one another, acquire a common history, and develop shared perspectives. Two

factors appear to be especially important for encouraging collaboration: trust andrespect. Respect can be

broken down into two types: basic respect and earned respect.

Trust:Different levels of trust may exist on a management team. A minimal degree of trust aboutwork activities is absolutely necessary. Over time, a highly cohesive team may develop a deeper

level of trust, but this is not necessary for members to work together effectively.

Basic Respect:Basic respect refers to the respectful treatment we should show to any otherperson simply because they are another human being. Team members should always show basic

respect towards one another.

Earned Respected: Earned respect does not come automatically a person attains earnedrespect through their action, knowledge, or accomplishments. For a management team to be

effective, members need to have at least some degree of respect for the abilities of other team

members.

In addition, maintaining positive relationships requires successful conflict management among team

members, since differences and disagreements are a natural part of team interaction.

F. What Makes a Management Team Successful?

In the Management Team Research Project, the following five Success Factors appeared to differentiate

the most successful teams from unsuccessful ones. When the five factors were present, management

teams that we studied worked as productive, cohesive groups. When they were absent, teams had

difficulty their leadership role in the organization.

Success Factor 1: Strategic Goals

To focus activity and effort, management teams need a clear understanding of their purpose and the goals

they intend to accomplish. These goals shouldaddress the organizations critical strategic priorities.

Success Factor 2: Extensive Networks

To make informed decisions, management teams must access critical information from both inside and

outside the organization.

Success Factor 3: Collaborative Relationships

To cooperate in achieving team goals, management team members be able to develop positive, supportive

relationships.

Success Factor 4: Effective Information Processing


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To make good decision, management teams must effectively process the information available to them.

our research found that the leader of a management team has more influence over this aspect of team

effectiveness than any other.

Success Factor 5: Focused Action

To accomplish results, management teams must make the transition from discussion to action. A brilliant

decision that is implemented poorly will be of no benefit to the organization.

TWELVE TIPS FOR NEW MANAGERS

1. Dont let the position go to your head . You have not just become Grand Dictator of theUniverse, so dont begin ordering people around and watching their every move. Did you find

that helpful when you were just an employee?

2. But dont be afraid to act like a manager.While you dont want to go mad with power, you doneed to become comfortable with the power you now have. You must be able to provide direction

to your employees, give them feedback, help resolve problems, and address performance issues.

Otherwise, people will begin to view you as a wimp.

3. Discuss your role with your boss. Along with a new job, you probably have a new boss, so youneed to be clear on his or her expectations. Have a meeting to discuss any of the following

questions that might be useful: What are the most impotant goals in my job? What is your view of

my staff? What decisions do you want to be involved in? How do you want me to share

information with you? What are your particular hot buttons? and any other questions that might

be helpful.

4. Learn about the organizational culture. If you are in a new organization, take time to figure outthe lay of the land. Many people have made career-killing mistakes by failing to adapt to a

different ways of doing things. Even if you have been with your organization for along time, you

are now at a different level and need to learn about the management culture. Your new boss and

your new peer group can be very helpful here.

5. Learn from your role model. You have probably worked for several different managers in yourlife, so try to take the best from each one and avoids their bad habits. As an employee, what did

you want from your manager? What motivated you? What turned you off?

6. Get to know people and let them get to know you. Begin to hold regular staff meetings (and beclear on what those meetings should accomplish). Take time to meet with employees individually

to discuss their work, get their view of the departments strengths and weaknesses, and find out

what they need from you. Do the same with your new peer group. You are now a member of a

management team and need to be able to work collaboratively with those colleagues. Id your

organization offers Transition Meetings or Assimilation Meetings, talk with your Human

Resources department about having one.7. Understand individual differences. You now have to manage a group of people who have

different style of working, communicating, and making decisions. This is where you learn that

not everyone does things the way you do. But as long as the results are okay, so is their work

style.

8. Discuss your role with your staff. If you were promoted over your peers, all of you need toadjust to the change in roles. This will be easier if you talk about it with them. Acknowledge that

everyone is having to adjust, which may be a little uncomfortable for awhile. Talk about your

goals for the department and the way that you like to work. Ask what questions they have about


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the change. Of you have joined a new organization, the transition is different, but the

conversation will still be helpful. You might also consider having your boss talk with the staff

about the goals for your department and why you were selected to lead it.

9. Compare your leadership style with your predecessor. Under they previous manager, yourstaff become accustomed to a certain way of doing things. They must now get used to a different

set of expectations and preference. To help them adapt, encourage open discussion of similarities

and differences in leadership style. If you did not know your predecessor, ask about his or her

style and determine what you are likely to do differently. Unless they are psychic, your staff cant

know how expectations have changed unless you tell them.

10.Talk with any staff member who applied for the job. This may uncomfortable, but it will helpto move things along. Acknowledge that you know they may be disappointed, but that you hope

the two of you will be able to work together. Ask if they have any advice for you as you start this

new job. If the person is a valuable employee, express sincere appreciation for their contributions.

11.Identify the most important goals of the department. Write up an initial plan for yourdepartment and share it with your manager. One he or she has signed off, share the plan with your

staff and ask for their input. If this represents a big change, meet with each person individually to

discuss new expectations.

12.Manage your stress! A new management job can be stressful for awhile. If youre feelingfrazzled, seek out some stress management tips and put them into practice. One helpful hint: find

someone outside of your work group to talk to about this transition. A mentor, coach, or trusted

friend can be a good sounding board and stress reducer. If you find that management is not for

you, there are always other choices. But the odds are that once you get through the learning curve,

you are likely to really enjoy your management role.

HOW TO HELP PEOPLE ACCEPT CHANGE

If you want someone to accept change, you must first understand why they may resist it. By anticipating

their likely reaction to your plan or proposal, you can make intelligent decisions about how to introduce

it. There are three things to know about change: (1) emotions are inevitable, (2) change equals loss, and

(3) acceptance requires planning.

1. CHANGE IS AN EMOTIONAL EXPERIENCE

One of the most fundamental facts about change is that all change is an emotional experience. Think

about the recent change at home or at work. How did you feel in that situation? Worried, depressed, sad,

angry, stressed out? Or excited, happy, motivated, energized, and optimistic? Maybe your feelings were

both positive and negative. But the odds are that you felt something . If you remember the change, itsprobably because there was an emotion attached to it.

Understanding normal emotional responses to change can help you anticipate reactions. First, the initial

response to change is often negative. People seem to automatically scan the situation for any alteration

that is not to their benefit. Then they complain about it. This negative focus often blocks their awareness

of positive aspects. On the other hand, some changes are eagerly anticipated and welcomed. However,

these too are frequently followed by a period of disappointment and regretfor example, the well-known

phenomenon of buyers remorse that real estate agents have learned to expect. In this situations, the


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initial optimism and excitement prevent the person from seeing a complete picture, resulting in

unanticipated disappointments later on. The bottom line here is that you should always expect a negative

reaction to any change. If you dont get one, just be happy.

2. CHANGE EQUALS LOSS

The main reason that people have negative reactions to change is that when things change, you lose

something. You may gain something as well, but a loss is always involved. When you get promoted, you

gain a better title, higher pay, and more recognition but also lose your former feelings of comfort and

competence in your previous job. When you get married, you gain a loving life partner (hopefully), but

you take a hit in the areas of freedom and autonomy. And when you have a child, you gain one of lifes

greatest blessings, but you definitely lose money, time, and sleep.

At work, the losses that come with change typically fall into one of four areas:

Safety & security: You dont feel as certain that you will continue to be employed. Relationships: You lose contact with people who are important to you or the nature of the relationship

change.

Competence: You feel less certain of your ability to perform job duties or produce results. Mission & purpose: Your work used to be part of your reason for being, but it no longer feels that

way.

3. ACCEPTANCE REQUIRES PLANNING

If you want people to accept change, you need to invest some in planning and communication. All too

often, managers and colleagues (or parents and spouses, for that matter) just throw a change out there and

expect others to say, Well, thats just fine. These people are living in a fantasy world. To get people to

accept change, the first step is to understand what, from their perspective, they feel that they are losing. If

you can empathize with their feelings, then begin to replace or compensate for the loss, you have taken a

giant first step towards acceptance.

Four factors are particularly important in promoting acceptance:

- Caring: People feel that those who have power care about their concerns and will listen to them.listening to peoples reactions is just as important as explaining the reasons for change.

- Control: People have some input into how the change will be implemented. They are asked foropinions or suggestions in any area where their input may be truly considered. Never ask for input

that you dont plan to use.

- Choice: People are given options as part of the change process. The more choices people have, themore they feel in control. And some of the energy that previously went into complaining will now go

into decision-making.

- Competence: People feel that they have the skills, knowledge, and abilities to succeed after thechange. The faster you can help someone move through the learning curve, the faster they will accept

the change. Keep in mind that learning can be about people, places, and cultures as well as about

skills and tasks.

So before you begin to implement your change, take time to develop a change plan that incorporates those

four features.


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4. FACTORS THAT INCREASE RESISTANCE

Finally, you should also be aware of the circumstances that tend to make resistance worse:

Important expectations about the future will not be met as a result of the change. Some people feel that they are unfairly affected more adversely than others. There is a long period of uncertainly about what is going to happen. Too many change occur at the same time, or change seems to go on and on without end.

When you determine that these factors are present in the situation, pay even more careful attention to your

communication and implementation plan.

RESPONDING TO EMPLOYEE CONCERNS

As a manager, an important part of your job involves addressing the problems and concerns of your staff.

The following suggestions may help to make these discussions more pleasant and productive.

1. Give the employee your full attention. Keep in mind that dealing with employee problems and

concerns is not an interruption in your work. As a manager, it is your work. Taking phone calls or

continuing to work on your computer clearly sends the message that the employees concerns arent all

that important.

2. Listen to their explanation without interruption. Unless the person is just endlessly rambling on, let

them finish their story. If they are endlessly rambling, just say, let me stop you for a minute to be sure

that I understand. Then summarize what youve heard so far.

3. If its not clear what the problem is, ask how can I help?.Sometimes people just dont explain

things well. If you really have no clue what the issue is, finding out what they expect from you may make

it clearer.

4. Show understanding, but not necessarily agreement. You want to be emphatic and convey that you

understand the problem, but so far youve only heard their version of the situation. Agreeing with them

can therefore be hazardous. So dont say, Thats awful! We have to do something about it! better to say

something like, I can understand why you would be upset about that.

5. Remain neutral about issues involving other people.You dont want to jump to conclusions about

the behavior of others until you have actually talked to them or learned more about the situation.

6. Ask questions to get a complete picture. Sometimes people who are upset or angry fail to provide all

the relevant information. They are usually focused on their own point of view to the exclusion of all

others. Try to understand the whole situation before deciding what to do next.

7. Explain what you are going to do. Then do it.

becoming an effective manager

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