Management Training Resources: Are You Cut Out To Be A Manager?
Have you read the recent article (Why So Many Workers Hate Their Bosses) posted on the CMI network where Jay Robb, a freelance writer, comments on a book by Bruce Katcher, entitled “30 Reasons Employees Hate Their Managers: What Your People May Be Thinking And What You Can Do About It”?
Pretty strong stuff, and perhaps a little sensationalist in order to sell newspapers/books?
Maybe – but you only have to run a search for “bully bosses” on you tube and it comes up with 368 videos. Type in “bad bosses” and there are 29,600 videos to choose from! In some of the management forums or newsletters I visit the threads which are discussing how staff can “manage upwards”, or maybe trying to uplift and inform readers with resource management training materials and articles about conflict management skills often end up with literally dozens of posts from people who are clearly deeply disenfranchised in their work. OK – some of them may be “serial whingers” – but in my experience, having worked with thousands of employees across dozens of different types of organisation, everyone has some experience of a “bad boss”; can quite clearly tell you what makes them “bad”; and it’s the same reasons which come up, time and time again.
Katcher has run staff satisfaction and engagement surveys since 1993 and found staff have issues including feeling disrespected, unrecognised, unable to voice opinions openly, frustrated at what they see as poor decision making and uninspired by de-motivating leadership. Interesting that the massive Gallup research looking at hundreds of organisations and hundreds of thousands of employees, also finds these same issues as being the most critical in terms of management performance.
Both Gallup and Katcher cite similar reasons for this failure of management: promoting people because they were good at their previous job or because of length of service, rather than their ability to connect positively with others; a culture which is permeated with “control” type of management, so leading to controlling bosses spawning similar clones, or lack of adequate training to hone the required management skills.
This so strikes a chord with me.
I started out in the classroom, many, many years ago. Within weeks of standing in front of dozens of high energy, expectant and unforgiving teenagers, one question formed in my mind which was to go on to shape much of my last 35 years of work as a teacher and manager: “How do I engage, motivate and enthuse these bright individuals to bring out their full potential?”
Believe me, there were many young student teachers I saw come into the classroom who were brighter and more academic than me – but they could not teach to save their lives. Managing others in the workplace demands no less skill than that of the classroom.
Motivating, enthusing, tapping into “discretionary effort”, is a skill set requiring some very specific behaviours and attitudes, and, actually, some understanding of human psychology.
Some individuals have an almost intuitive understanding of how to connect positively with others; how to forge good relationships and how to produce peak performance. Some have the raw potential to be able to develop this skill set – but require a desire to learn and grow and practice those skills until they are second nature.
And – in my view – some are simply not “cut out” to be managers. They take the post because it is the only way of gaining status or more money, or it’s “expected” of them, but once there they feel distinctly uncomfortable and often feel frustrated and harassed.
Perhaps this is best illustrated by the comments of one of my participants at a recent workshop helping managers understand more about how to motivate others. The group had considered motivation, worked on some of their own motivational drivers and we’d come to the final part of the session where we were reflecting on the concept of talents, talent management, and how an understanding of this can help develop staff in a meaningful and productive way. Suddenly an MD of a company piped up : “I realise now I just want to be left alone! I’ve spent the first part of this workshop thinking I’m not interested in any of this, my top motivational drivers do not lend themselves to wasting time trying to engage other people -and this is too much like hard work! So what do I do?”
The group answered for him: “Find someone who is and let them do it for you!”
This is a classic case of “square peg, round hole”. Bottom line? In such a situation both manager and staff are unlikely to be performing at their best – and actually, are probably both aware of this fact and uncomfortable about it. (This particular individual decided to step back from managing and expressed relief he could get on with “what I’m good at”.)
There are implications for all organisations in terms of talent management; in terms of training and in terms of structuring so they can reward talent in the most appropriate way, which may, or may not be promotion to managing others. In my experience, managing and developing others is a complex, yet richly rewarding activity – but it is not for everyone.
As Katcher and Gallup show, it’s a bad idea to do nothing, because the statistics show more people leave bosses, not companies. If they don’t leave, they keep showing up, but become 9 to 5ers, doing just enough to keep out of trouble.
Perhaps we should all be asking: “How can we more effectively fit square pegs into square holes?” and allow those with the talent to be managers to take on the challenge, and those who do not, more effectively utilise the talents they do have?
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For more information to help you with the people side of management,
including how to improve employee motivation and get the best out of your team, take a look at these great resources:
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Employee Coaching – What Every Manager Needs to Know
Employee coaching is a bit of a buzz word in organisations at the moment and managers find themselves increasingly being expected to be able to “coach” their staff, with little real understanding of just what workplace coaching is or how to go about it. Some trainers or consultants suddenly call themselves “coaches” having had little specific training and even less practice, and organisations talk of developing a “coaching and mentoring culture” with a feeling of uncertainty about exactly what this means or how to go about it.
All the while, more and more courses, theories and models on mentoring tips, coaching motivation and articles on coaching and mentoring spring up leaving managers feeling overwhelmed at the amount of knowledge and time it seems is necessary before they are able to coach their staff. In many cases, this is time they feel they just don’t have.
But the truth is, any manager can coach, provide mentoring tips and guidelines, given a few ground rules.
Conversely, ignore those ground rules and you’ll do more harm than good.
Employee Coaching : The Ground Rules
So what are those ground rules? Take a look at the following list, and see if you feel you have what it takes to be a great coach.
Great coaches are…
1. Approachable and available
You don’t have to be at people’s beck and call, but research shows when staff feel there is genuine interest in them as people, as well as for their well-being and development, they will work harder and be less resistant to change.
2. Excellent listeners
How well do you listen to your staff? I mean really listen? Most of us, manager or not, would benefit from honing our listening skills. People aren’t daft – we know when someone is really listening and when they’re just being polite, or waiting till you’ve finished so that they can jump in!If you don’t start to really listen – your staff will stop talking to you. Instead, they’ll probably talk behind your back.
3. Empathic
Empathy is not the same as sympathy.
Empathy is understanding how someone else feels or thinks, even if you don’t necessarily share that feeling or view.Empathy breeds tolerance. It allows people to feel “safe” expressing views, even if they challenge the status quo, knowing they will not be ridiculed, or at “risk” of being branded a trouble-maker. Stamping down opposing views just drives them underground anyway. Wouldn’t you rather have them in the open?
Often, people want to be heard even more than they want their own way.
4. Encouraging and supportive
Praise; noticing when people do something well; feeding back specifically what you appreciate, and helping your staff achieve some of their own personal goals, will all put credits in the relationship bank account.It’s that bank of good will which will help maintain high performance, despite any challenges. An empty bank account means no good will. No good will means you’re fighting to stay afloat.
5. Honest and willing to reveal their “humanity”
None of us are perfect. All of us make mistakes.Great coaches admit their mistakes, and allow others to know it’s OK to make mistakes, as long as we learn from them.If you’re not honest – how can you expect your staff to be?
6. Challenging
Great coaches are not afraid to challenge when they feel it’s appropriate. They don’t just challenge their staff, they challenge up and sideways too. They’re not “yes” men or women – they have transparent values – and they communicate skillfully and respectfully whilst ensuring their voice is heard.
7. People with clear and high expectations (without being demanding)
Great coaches don’t overburden staff unnecessarily with rules and procedures, but they do ensure they know what is expected of them.
Coaching Employees is less a way of “doing” – more a way of “being”.
Whilst there are techniques to help you coach more effectively, if you strengthen your ability to demonstrate the above 7 rules, you’re already developing both coaching workplace motivation skills, and a coaching culture.
And the beauty of that is – it won’t take a 2 day course or hours of reading! Just a little bit of honest self-appraisal, and some “tweaks” in the way you do things.
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For more information to help you with the people side of management,
including how to improve employee motivation and get the best out of your team, take a look at these great resources:
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How to Successfully Manage Your Boss – And Increase Your Chances of Promotion
Two critical skills, which the highest performing managers have in spades, are the ability to influence and persuade. The most obvious targets for your powers of persuasion are your team, and sometimes your peers in different departments; but just as you need to manage down or sideways, it’s also critical you know how to manage upwards.
To help you make the right impression, here are four simple rules to remember, which will move you in the right direction.
1. Find out what the expectations are – and exceed them.
Sounds obvious and simple – yet in my experience it’s neither! Try to answer the following questions
- Do you actually know what your manager’s top priorities are?
- How clear are you about the order of priority your manager has for each area of your performance?
- How clear do you think your manager is about his/her expectations of you?
Sometimes expectations are written – but more often than not, they are unwritten expectations, which your boss may never have really clearly articulated to themselves, let alone you!
Put it this way – if you don’t know for sure what will score you top points with this individual, you may find yourself chasing down the wrong rabbit hole.
And this is NOT about currying favour, or ingratiating yourself. This is about having a clear understanding on both sides about what is important, so you both know and agree where you should focus most of your time and attention. It actually makes your job easier.
So – if you don’t know the answers to the questions above – make a date in your diary to discuss this with your boss! (And before you actually have that meeting, make sure you read technique 4!)
2. Anticipate and address a boss’ concerns
The trick here is a technique from what we call Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) and is about being able to see the different “perceptual positions” around an issue. Put simply this means seeing something through someone else’s eyes, so you understand their thoughts, feelings, worries and perspectives. This is more than just being good with soft skill training.
An obvious way is to ask them! And we’d definitely encourage you to fnd the right opportunities to do just that. However, sometimes there’s neither time, nor is it appropriate. So what do you do then? You put yourself in their shoes. And when we say in their shoes – we mean wearing their shoes and looking through their eyes! This is not how you would feel in their shoes. You’re not them!
So, this is easier said than done. But here’s a few killer questions to ask yourself:
- What will my boss be anxious about?
- What do his bosses expect of him?
- How does what I do to help him/her look good?
- If I/we do “x”, what might he/she be concerned about?
By answering these questions you’ll be much clearer about what you need to do to both pre-empt and address their concerns. It also significantly increases their perception you really understand where they are coming from, which in turn significantly strengthens the trust and relationship between you.
3. Consistently look for ways to add value.
This is a really simple rule. Bosses are more likely to listen if you speak in “can-do” language, and you are organised, and sound enthusiastic and eager to deliver results.
Look ahead when discussing a project, rather than dwelling on what’s already occurred.
Follow through on promises. And adopt a “no-excuses” policy. Failing to produce results almost guarantees a boss will doubt your abilities. So, if you haven’t quite achieved what you set out to do – rather than saying what you’ve not been able to do, start with what you have achieved; be specific about what barriers there were, and summarise your plans to get back on track.
Your boss has pressures of his own. Don’t add to them.
4. Know your style – and know their style; and adapt your behaviour to suit their preferences.
A great analogy from relationship expert Shay McConnon is that of the “hot chilli trap”. What is this? It’s when someone assumes that, because they love hot chilli, everyone else does too! Patently, some people do not like hot chilli!
If you’re in a foreign country you at least attempt to learn “please” and “thank you” in their language and show respect for their customs. It’s just courtesy. You adapt your own behaviour to show respect for the differences of perception.
To assume, because we speak the same language, we see things in the same way – is quite clearly erroneous, yet we still persist in believing the mantra “treat others as you’d like to be treated.”
Absolutely not! Treat others as they would like to be treated.
So what does this mean for you in your relationship with your boss? It means the more you get to understand their style and preferences, and tweak your style to match, the more likely they are to warm towards you. If you lean towards an eye for detail and precision, but your boss just wants the big picture – give it that way. What is their biggest strength? Capitalise on it. What is their central goal? How can you assist? If they are extroverts who like to talk through ideas, provide that opportunity. If they are introverts who like to be able to read through something, and ponder it first, present your proposals in a way which will help them assimilate the information and ask questions.
Respect how they like to be treated.
And what if they don’t show the same respect for you? Well, that is a subject for another article!
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For more information to help you with the people side of management,
including how to improve employee motivation and get the best out of your team, take a look at these great resources:
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Why Managers with Great Soft Skills are Essential in Hard Times
We are in a “credit crunch”. Times are hard. It isn’t the first time; and it won’t be the last.
People tighten their belts and do their best to weather the storm, and businesses focus an even more critical eye on their spending. Often, one of the first things to come under scrutiny is soft skill training and development, and decisions are made to put anything other than “essential” training on hold. “Soft skills management”, (also referred to as “people skills” or "interpersonal communication skill") is often seen as the “fluffy bunny” stuff of development, and as a result is the first to be dropped. But how effective is this strategy in reality? Is motivational humor enough to motivate employees?
This article exposes some common “myths” around soft skills and explains why, in the scramble to reduce our spending, going for the “obvious” targets may not be as effective a strategy as you think.
Soft Skill Training Definition
Why do we call “soft skills” by that name, and what does it conjure up for you exactly? What images or words do you associate with this frequently used term?
For me it conjures up some kind of “fluffy bunny”, soft, gentle, rather vague term, designed to encompass abilities which are not so easily measured, and certainly less tangible than, let’s say your ability to rewire a home, use power-point, or know your products inside out. There’s something almost apologetic about “soft skills management” too; after all these are also often referred to as “people skills” or "interpersonal communication skill" – and we’re all, well, people aren’t we? That being the case, these “skills” will be an innate part of our being already, so there’s no real need to spend much resource on developing them.
Soft Skill Training: Issues which arise when soft skills are missing
Over many years, working 1-2-1 or in workshops with managers and teams I am struck by how often the following issues come up:
- The team just don’t pull together.
- There are 1 or 2 individuals who are extremely difficult to manage or work alongside, and this creates tension in the team.
- Communication, either internally, or externally with clients or customers, is poor.
- One or two individuals are underperforming, either taking many absences, not completing work on time, or resisting doing certain parts of their role, and others are getting fed up of having to “carry them.”
- Changes in the wider organisation are affecting morale.
- Team members feeling there’s a lack of leadership, of fairness, of support or development, or of valuing what they do – with the result they just “do what they need to, to keep out of trouble” They’re not passionate or enthusiastic about their work – this is “just a job” which pays the bills.
Credit crunch or not – if you think these VERY common symptoms aren’t damaging your bottom line – think again! I bet I could find at least some of these in your business right now!
And these symptoms are caused, not because you haven’t given these people the training they need to do their job – they are the result of less than effective people skills!
The Role of the Manager
The dynamics of the working relationships in a team can make the difference between hitting, or missing your targets – between profit and loss – between survival in a credit crunch and real difficulties.
And the central figure in that dynamic, the individual who can make or break the team’s ability to function, is the manager.
A quick look at some figures, for those of you who really like to see the hard facts!
Gallup research looked at a retailer with over 30,000 employees and over 300 stores. This retailer took great care to ensure each store provided the customer with a consistent shopping experience, whichever store they visited. Using 12 questions which asked workers to rate how they felt about their role, then looking at the answers and the actual results in that store or team within a store, what they found was astonishing, and significant.
They found, that where employees scored more highly in terms of their satisfaction with the “culture” in the team, the hard line sales figures were significantly, and consistently better than those stores where the cultures were hindered by things such as lack of trust, poor morale and little enthusiasm. They found the highest scoring stores were on average:
- 4.56% over sales budget for the year.
This translated into $104 million of sales
If the company could transform the poorer stores, this would increase their total sales by 2.6% - 14% over profit budget
The bottom stores missed their profit goals by a full 30% - Retaining staff by an average of 12 staff more per year than their counterparts in the bottom 25% of the survey
This translated into the top stores retaining 1000 more staff over the year.
Estimating the average store employee salary, and the cost of finding, hiring and training the new employees, the overall cost to the company was $27million.
How would you like to shave some of that “cost” off your bottom line?
So – next time you’re thinking of cutting your training budget to strip out the “nice to have” things like “soft skills training” – perhaps you might think again?
Even if you scale down such training for everyone, finding a way to ensure your managers are highly skilled people managers is one of the most worthwhile investments you will EVER make.
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For more information to help you with the people side of management,
including how to improve employee motivation and get the best out of your team, take a look at these great resources:
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