Manager's Minute 

When you've only got a minute for management you haven't got a minute to waste.

As managers we have to deal with others who may not have our skills and experience. Our job is to help them to perform well, in order to do that we have to set up systems that increase the chances of success. Just remember, that your success rides, or falls, on their success. No manager ever scored points by blaming the failure of the project on the performance of his/her team. In fact any manager that uses the incompetence of his/her team as an excuse for failure does not deserve the title "Manager"

This week we'll deal with the 3^rd need. " Help me. Guide me. Train me "

Remember that the art of management is getting things done, and to get things done you need to know what needs to be done, how it must be done, by when it must be done and who must do it. Then you must ensure that the "doer" knows how to do it and has the resources to do it.

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The Cry of The Managed

I have often, as I am sure you have, heard managers (business owners included) make the plaintive cry "My people are all idiots!".

Whenever I hear this I advise the manager "Change your recruitment policy and stop employing idiots" The standard response is "But I don't employ idiots. I look for the best people I can find." This leads to the next observation "If you didn't employ idiots, but they are idiots now then they must have become idiots here. This shows that you must change your management style."

This is a just a joke, (and like most jokes highlights a very real issue) but it's not funny how many really good people are managed into mediocrity. This is why it is so important to respond to Cry 3. Help me. Guide me. Train me

Primary Principle of any Employer Employee relationship.

You brought these people on board in order to get a job done, not to create work for yourself, so help them to help you. Make it easy for them to do well.

Create and implement, policies, procedures and systems that increase chances of success. Make sure that they know what to do and how to do it. Let them know what is expected.

Give clear, precise, easy to follow instructions and ensure understanding. Don't let them guess what you want. Be specific. Draw pictures if you have to.

Make sure that the resources necessary for the task are available. Not much will cause as much resentment and resistance as expecting someone to do something when they do not have the tools needed to do it.

Just remember this. You are not helping anyone by doing for them what they should be doing for themselves. And you are definitely not helping anyone by giving them something to do that they can't do by themselves

Getting them going in the right direction is important, but, keeping them going in the right direction is critical

Constant evaluation throughout the process is vital. All too often the only time we evaluate a project is on delivery date and then it's too late to make any corrections.

Identify "Critical Progress Points" or "Key Report Back Points" and then make sure that you evaluate progress at these points. Remember that progress is not just movement, it is movement in a specified direction.

The more often you evaluate progress the less problems there are likely to be and the easier it will be to fix any problems that do crop up.

Develop confidence by re-enforcing good results, identifying cause of poor results and re-aligning activities to ensure good results

I have met quite a few people who do things wrong. In fact every time I look in the mirror I get to see someone who often gets things wrong :), but I have never, yet, met anyone who deliberately sets out to do things wrong.

Most of the time the getting things wrong is caused by not knowing how to do what needs to be done, in other words, incompetence, or by thinking you know what needs to be done, in other words, misunderstanding.

Our job as managers is to ensure that the people we employ to perform the tasks we need done, know exactly how we want it done. So we must train them to use our methods and to work to our standards.

Use this very effective 6 step process:-

1. I tell you what we are going to do.

2. I do it. You watch.

3. You do it with me.

4. I do it with you.

5. You do it. I watch.

6. You get on with it.

Set your people up for success, it'll make your life and their lives so much better.

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That's it for today, I look forward to your comments and experiences related to this message. Mail them to me at johan@motivate.co.za

You could help by letting me know what your most pressing/puzzling/frustrating management problems are. Just send a mail to johan@motivate.co.za

If you would like to dramatically improve your "Performance Management" skills then you should ensure that you order "A Practical Guide to Performance Management" today. Just click here => A Practical Guide to Performance Management <= to get an order form.

Regards

Johan (JAHBATBU)(QBE)(UOL)

PS: Please pass this message on to any of your business colleagues you feel may benefit from it.

To live your best life be true to the YOU, that you want to be.

Live with passion. Change your life from making a living to making a difference.

Live up to the reputation that you want to have.