Entries Tagged 'Credibility' ↓

A couple of weeks ago I came across an article over on FoundRead that highlighted the 7 habits of a highly effective manager. The list came from a webinar given by entrepreneur and writer Alyssa Dver.

The 7 habits of a highly effective manager are:

1. Know your limits – you don’t need to be a know it all. There is alot to be said for a manager or leader who is comfortable with their own skillset and also knows when to augment it with the skills of his/her team. Talking and “acting” above and beyond your level of knowledge can really hurt your credibility.

2. Listen before you speak – as a manager it is your job to take in all of the available “data” and make meaning of it. Don’t give your audience a reason to think you are stupid, especially if you totally miss the point of discussion because you were to busy blurting out your views to really understand the topic at hand.

3. Ask “why” not “what” – this is especially important in situations with lots of “legacy”. Many time, people and organizations will go on blindly without understanding why they do things. By asking “why” you’ll have a chance to easily jump past legacy issues and get down to details and facts. “Why” is the first step in process engineering, and as a manager, you are a major process creator.

4. Be decisive – make decisions! A leader who cannot make a decisions will lose credibility almost instantly. If you are engaged in the previously outlined habits, you should be able to make the best decisions possible with whatever amount of “data” you have.

5. Be responsive – a managers job is to manage. This means doing your best to respond to questions, issues, etc. on a regular basis. You don’t need to solve every problem on your own, and you probably shouldn’t. Deligate issues and empower your team by being attentive to their needs. Many employees will take unresponsiveness very personally.

6. Communicate frequently – keep people in the loop so they feel included and aware of the world around them. By keeping a constant flow of information available to people they are less likely to harass you with seemingly simple obvious requests. People who feel “in the loop” also tend to feel more empowered.

7. Manage passion – be excited and energized about what you and your team are doing, but don’t lose track of reality. Managing passion is a culmination of all of the above habits. In many cases passionate teams sometimes mistake their passion for execution. Don’t get blinded by your passion and ignore the need to execute efficiently.

At the end of the day, a successful manager is: “A humble leader. A careful communicator. An avid student.”

The folks over at Slacker Manager have published a list featuring 8 tips that every good manager should be aware of…

1. The chief responsibility of a manager is to turn a person’s talent into performance.
2. Great managers find what is unique about each person and capitalize on it.
3. Average managers play checkers while great managers play chess – they understand the differences in each piece and coordinate the team to take advantage of the individual strengths.
4. Great managers spend 80% of their time working to grow an employee’s greatest strength.
5. Great leader’s rally people to a better future.
6. Great leaders find what is universal and capitalize on it.
7. Great leaders muse, pick heroes with great care, and practice their words, phrases, and stories.
8. Great leaders answer these questions: Who do we serve? What is our core strength? What is our core score? What actions can we take today?

I’ve gotta say, this is one stellar list. Unfortunately there are way too many folks in management positions who don’t look at the world along these lines. At the end of the day, it’s always about the team and any manage who can facilitate “awesomeness” within their team gets an A+ in my book.

So you’re a new manager. Maybe you just received a promotion or you’re totally new to an organization. In many cases you may be inheriting a new team along with all the good, bad and ugly baggage that comes along for the ride. It can be pretty daunting, but there are a few simple things you can do to make the transition much easier for both you and your new team.

1. Keep your mouth shut and listen a little

Listening and giving your new team members a chance to share their thoughts is probably one of the best first moves you can make. In many cases, a change in leadership can make people very nervous. Giving people a chance to tell their story about personal experiences as well as their ideas about the team, company, history, etc. can be very eye opening. As with many things in life, giving people a voice and allowing them to express themselves is a critical first step in developing both respect and credibility. Use your judgement here. Sometimes you’ll want to do one on one sessions while other times small groups of employees chatting may yield better results.

2. Share information about yourself and your management style

Once you’ve listened to your team, follow that up by sharing information about yourself. If you don’t think people are “Googling” for information about you, you’re sorely mistaken. Make sure you take the time to share the facts. You don’t need to share every detail of your life, but make sure you give people enough information so they can relate to you as a human and not just a figure head. The best managers are those that have a connection with their team.

Beyond sharing a little personal information, this is usually a good time to give people a heads up on your management style. Are you a collaborator? Do you prefer email over voice mail? When are you most productive? What are your strengths and weaknesses? These sorts of details can help build credibility, as well as help your new team members gain important context about why you are the way you are.

3. Don’t rush to change everything by the end of the first week

By this point you’ve listened to your team and probably have some initial ideas on what you might want to change or new ideas and concepts you want to introduce. Rushing in and quickly forcing changes can be one of the worst things you can do as a new manager. Yes it is important to have a mandate and to get down to business, but many new managers forget that they are missing a lot of the finer detail and context they need before making big decisions. Even if you think you have all the puzzle pieces in order, taking a collaborative and moderate pace to initial changes. Moderation minimizes the shock factor and also ensures that you have a chance to confirm your assumptions before rushing into anything.

4. Once things have been rolling for a quarter, let your team give you a review

A reverse review where you let your team (or specific team members) give you a performance review after the first 3 months worth of work is an excellent way to make sure things are operating as expected. 3 months is typically enough time for everyone to figure eachother out and work together on atleast a few projects. This reverse review is meant to give your team members an opportunity for a safe and frank discussion on what they like and maybe don’t like about working with you as their manager. The point of the reverse review is to facilitate self awareness on your behalf as the manager. A self aware manager is able to take this constructive feedback and make any necesary adjustments to their leadership style if required.

Keeping these 4 simple tips in mind should make the transition from “new guy” to credible and respected manager much easier.