Management Skills Blog Now Live!
‘Tis exciting times! Now to those of you who have been blogging regularly for years, you’ll forgive me for my exuberance over something which is a bit of a “yawn” to you now!
There was a time when my eyes used to glaze over when people talked about all things technical, computer based or twittering!
OK – so I’m hardly an “early adopter” – but partly because when you run your own business you realise you’re missing a trick if you don’t embrace the brave new world, partly out of curiosity to see what all the fuss is about, and partly because I just got plain curious – I’ve started to take more than a passing interest, and even spent some time learning from those who already know!
Management Skill Training – Can You Not Afford To?
OK, so I have a vested interest. Yes, I am a trainer and coach – and yes, I increasingly find myself helping managers hone their people and management skills. But when I started out in coaching and providing management skill training I hadn’t particularly decided that was to be my focus.
My focus on people skills developed because the problems, issues and challenges which people presented me with were all challenges caused by lack of confidence or skill in dealing with people. I found managers struggling with apathetic staff; with “difficult” staff; with de-motivated staff; with underperforming staff; with appraising staff, with recruiting the right staff; with how best to develop their staff and even with unsupportive line managers of their own!
I could go on! I guess you get the picture?
I conduct surveys with all the managers I work with, whether they attend workshops, or as part of a 1-1 coaching and training programme for managers; and what’s clear is a huge proportion feel they would appreciate more help with the people side of management – and they are only too aware of the implications of poor people management. After all, most of them can tell you a story of a “nightmare” line manager they’ve had in the past and what the results of that were!
People and Management Skill Training - CIPD Report
A recent CIPD/ACAS report in June this year simply reinforced what I am finding in my own practice. As we find ourselves in the rather quiet period over the summer break, I’d like to share some of their findings because this is I think, quite a good time to reflect on and plan your strategy for the final quarter of 2009.
You’re busy, so for ease, I’ll bullet some of the main points from the report which particularly struck a chord with me.
- 80% of UK managers have been asked to do things at work for which they feel they should have been given some training beforehand. (Skillsoft survey, 2008)
- 78% of UK employees identified line management as the job function in most need of additional training (Skillsoft)
- The UK spends less per manager on management development than any other European country (Leitch review 2006)
- Half of training and development at work is now initiated by line managers, as opposed to HR or training departments. (CIPD – Who learns at work? 2008)
- 44% of employees say their line manager rarely or never coaches them (CIPD 2009)
- 33% of employees say their line manager never discusses their management skill training and development needs (CIPD 2009)
What are the implications of all this? Does it really matter? Does it make a difference to the outcome if a line manager is feeling uncertain how best to tackle some of the most common people issues?
Ruth Spellman, CEO of the Chartered Management Institute says this about management training:
“If you think it’s expensive to have really competent people, try incompetent.”
How much does it cost you in wasted time dealing with conflict? (OPP Research , 2008, shows an average of 12 days a year are spent dealing with conflict in the workplace – more than time lost to absence).
How much does it cost you in time and money dealing with disciplinary or grievance procedures?
How much does it cost you to find, hire and re-train new staff because valuable, experienced staff are leaving?
Study after study shows a huge proportion of employees leave bosses, not companies.
What’s heartening for me is that in my experience, as with all employees, managers want to do a good job. They want to be able to encourage a culture where people communicate well, where they give of their discretionary effort, where they are committed, loyal and enthusiastic, and where they have fun, learn and produce good results.
But with the exception of a very few, naturally talented and skilled communicators (and even these will tell you there is always room for improvement!), most managers come to the role with little or no understanding of basic human psychology and how to successfully and consistently apply techniques which will ensure they get the best out of themselves and others.
So as we head for the final quarter of 2009, what are you doing to support and develop the most critical roles in your organisation?
Money may be tight – but rather than simply take the simplest, and least creative route of putting all management skill training and management training resources development “on hold”, why not take the time in these quieter summer weeks to ask a more creative question:
“How can we still support and develop our managers despite financial pressures?”
You may not be able to justify the “bells and whistles” programme you had planned – but that doesn’t mean there aren’t ways you can still give some support. There’s a book called “Guerrilla Marketing” by Jay Conrad Levinson, which gives brilliant ways of marketing on a shoestring. Perhaps it’s time to write a book called “Guerrilla training for managers!”
As a coach, I know it’s more about asking the right questions, to help you come up with better answers! So ask yourself what you can do to support your managers in the next 3 months and see what you come up with!
After all – you might actually find you save a bob or two!
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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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Conflict Management Skills: How Managers Can Reduce Gossip, Politics, Blame and Moaning in Their Team
Do you ever think if your staff put even half the same energy into more productive and focused discussion and behaviour you’d be getting a darned sight better results?
Do you think it’s naive to imagine a team where these behaviours and attitudes didn’t exist?
Do you know some teams/managers or organisations where they do seem to have great working relationships, but you put that down to “luck” – they’ve just got “good people”?
Do you wish you knew how to deal with this more effectively?
Managing Employee Conflict
One thing’s for sure: if you experience this in your team, you’ll certainly be aware how time- consuming, frustrating, and energy draining these behaviours and attitudes are; and you’ll certainly realise they’re eating away at productivity, performance and the overall results you demonstrate.
But when you’re short on time and unsure how to tackle the issue, what do you do?
First, you need to know, running an occasional team building day, reading managing conflict articles or attending a course on communication is helpful in resolving workplace conflict – but it’s highly unlikely to produce lasting change. In some cases, I’ve seen such a strategy be a monumental, extremely expensive, flop. At a time when every penny counts, wouldn’t it be more sensible to consider more effective and lasting ways of dealing with the root causes of poor team dynamics and under-performance?
Second, you need to stop thinking that changing attitudes and behaviours is all your responsibility. You have to take the lead – that’s for sure. There is still much truth in the adage, “it starts at the top”. So start by getting really clear about the attitudes and behaviours you want to see more of in your team. Culture, at its simplest, is really just about “the way we do things around here”. As the manager, how do you want things done around here? What kind of attitudes and behaviours do you want to foster and encourage to show effective workplace leadership, and which would you want to discourage?
When asked, most managers I work with are quite clear about what they want – or at the very least what they don’t want! There’s often talk of having staff who have more of a “can do” attitude; who are committed; who try to focus on solutions instead of problems; who don’t waste time on the “moan” or “blame” roundabout, and who don’t play the negative work games of politics and gossip.
The problem is, whilst they know what they want, when it comes down to how to achieve this goal things get a little hazy!
As a coach, I know that achieving any goal is about taking consistent and regular steps which move you nearer to your ideal.
Ad-hoc, just doesn’t cut it. Especially if the goal is quite challenging.
And the onus for making all the changes in workplace motivation is not just the responsibility of the manager either!
The most successful, outstanding managers, expect, and successfully encourage their staff to take some responsibility for workplace conflict resolution. They encourage staff to take ownership for making “the way we do things around here” good for everyone.
It’s a bit like a sports coach – you can mentor, train and encourage others – but you can’t do their press-ups for them! At some point, they have to take ownership. Outstanding managers build cultures where such accountability is the norm.
So, effective team building means you need to communicate clear messages about the attitudes and behaviours you expect in your team, but then this must be supported through implementing strategies and tactics which make it easy for your people to engage in an interpersonal workplace, to discuss and to grow their own interpersonal skills.
And these strategies and tactics need to become a regular feature of “the way you do things around here”.
3 Conflict Management Skills which Will Make A Positive Difference to your Team
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In resolving workplace conflict, set up a simple and “safe” feedback mechanism which allows people to express their views.
In my experience with conflict resolution management, people want to be heard more than they may necessarily expect to get what they want. Moaning, back-biting and gossip grows when there’s no other outlet to express dissatisfaction or concern.
The simplest, and least threatening process for gaining feedback is through a staff survey. Now there are staff surveys, and there are staff surveys! In the same way that 360 feedback can be done well or badly, the same is true of staff surveys. It needs to be simple, anonymous, and give you the results in real time – not months later when everyone has forgotten all about it. Most importantly, it should form the basis for measuring just where you are now in terms of working relationships, and what might need tweaking; and for everyone to see the results don’t go into a black hole, but actually form the basis for actions to improve things.
Even if your staff are cynical at first, let them see this is not some token activity, but a genuine intention to improve the way things are for everyone. With commitment and consistency of message, you’ll start to see real shifts in attitudes and behaviours, and the atmosphere will be far more open and upbeat.
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To manage employee conflict, review what’s working well, and where the team feel they could work better – then set some individual and team goals.
This doesn’t have to be onerous. In fact, it’s better when it’s fun, short and sharp, and goal centred. Thirty minutes in a team meeting, or 15 minutes as part of a learning lunch, done regularly, which build momentum, structure and a sense of direction to what you’re doing.
Once some goals have been set, agree when you’ll review these – and then stick to it!
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Re-assess and measure progress on a regular basis.
Build a regular review into your year. At the very least, you should re-do the staff survey twice a year. People should see this as an important part of the culture; not some token activity done for appearances sake, but something which genuinely offers a vehicle for developing stronger working relationships and honing communication and people skills.
And make sure you celebrate progress. You may not change a rather negative culture overnight – in fact it’s highly unlikely! However, if teams are reporting less back-biting, less conflict or tension, and people feel a more positive atmosphere, you’re on the right track.
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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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Conflict Resolution Management: Can A Manager Create A Motivated, Conflict-free Team?
Two of the Most Common Challenges in Conflict Resolution Management
- How do I motivate my staff to want to do more?
- How do I prevent in-fighting and tension, so I’ve got more time to focus on getting the job done?
I find managers often talk of feeling frustrated or uncertain about how to deal with conflict or apathy and underperfomance on their team. As a coach and when I do employee coaching, it saddens me, quite frequently, that I’m brought in to coach someone where tension, conflict and disengagement have already reached quite serious levels, and are negatively impacting individual or wider team performance.
It’s such a shame – and on many occasions, (if not all), it could actually have been avoided.
How?
First of all, you need to understand what happens when conflict and tension occurs. Take a look at the following conflict management chart:
| BAD FEELING = UNMET NEED |
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When people aren't finding their needs are met in the workplace it leads to them feeling bad. It could be they're frustrated in their role; it could be they're struggling to cope with pressure; it could be they have some good ideas but no-one listens. Hundreds of causes - one result: unhappy. So, they |
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| This is all too often by the water cooler, or in the canteen, and rarely is the moan directed at the person it needs to be directed to! Assuming the manager notices what's going on, effectively defusing the situation would be helpful here - but there may be a tendency to ignore or avoid dealing with the situation at this stage in the hope it will go away. |
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| Apathy is probably already setting in. |
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| If there is no opportunity to communicate and the problem continues then this is likely to lead to more overt.... |
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| CRITICISM |
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| Now staff are more open in their criticism and possibly a little more hostile in their manner. The possibility of comments being made which cause annoyance or anger increase, leading to the... |
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| ROW |
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| Always harder to handle, shifting focus from what's really important, and taking up time you don't have, trying to deal with the fall-out. |
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| And now performance has really dropped - with potential ripple effects to others on your staff too. You're a manager fighting fires with a danger it may lead to... |
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| DISPUTE |
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| Which can lead to |
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| STRIKE/GRIEVANCE PROCEDURE |
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| Which can ultimately lead to |
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| RESIGNATION |
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Recognise the pattern?
Clearly, the further down the line, the more performance drops, and the harder it becomes to deal with the problem.
Two of the most common responses I see to repair relationships and re-motivate staff are some ad-hoc attempts at team building and one to one communication with individual members of staff as and when the manager has the time.
But such responses, although well-meaning, have little lasting impact and in my experience simply “tinker round the edges” of the problem.
The number one mistake a manager can make?
Burying their head in the sand and only intervene lower down the line – when it’s already at the criticism stage or beyond.
By then, of course, it’s more tricky to deal with, and you’re into “fighting fires” mode.
Conflict Resolution Management: A Closer Look for Answers
Have a system in place which supports and encourages open feedback and communication, as well as tools and resources to more effectively develop staff.
Here are three suggestions which can help make conflict management a win win scenario and begin to create a “can-do” culture instead of a “moaning” culture.
1. Ensure you know your staff. Familiary does NOT breed contempt; it breeds understanding. The more you know your staff, the more you’ll pick up early warning signs of unrest or disengagement.Research shows the highest performing managers don’t actually spend masses of time with each individual member of staff. Most spend no more than around 2 hours over the year, but this is spread out in regular one to one catch ups and is totally informal and separate from meetings scheduled for appraisals or other more formal activities.
These managers know their staff; what motivates them, what frustrates them. They listen, give praise regularly, and seek opportunities to both give and receive feedback.
In return for this small investment of time and genuine interest, they build a positive “relationship bank account” with each individual, which means there is less chance of tensions escalating or apathy setting in.
2. Nip “moans” in the bud. As a manager, you need to have your radar up for signs of unrest. If you’ve put tip one into action, you’ll get the “heads up” about problems early on anyhow. Deal with them immediately – and wherever possible, encourage staff to not just bring their problem to you, but be willing to suggest possible solutions themselves, instead of expecting you to always sort it out. And don’t worry that you always need to find an answer; or that you may not be able to solve every “moan”.
In my experience, people want to be heard, more than they want the problem resolved. Often, they know you might not be able to do anything about it, but the fact that you’ve acknowledged their issue, and genuinely listened will defuse the escalation of criticism, and if they see that, where possible you do take action, they’ll accept that sometimes, you can’t wave a magic wand!
3. Set up processes and systems to encourage open communication. Ad hoc is no good. Developing strong relationship bank accounts with your staff takes diligence and consistency.
Conflict Resolution Management does not require masses of time – but is more about the way you do things, and setting up processes to support this.
Consider annonymous staff surveys; regular informal one to one meetings; including specific communication skills training on team building days; (particularly those of giving and receiving feedback and conflict handling) and think about how you and your team can better understand and support the differing strengths, talents and motivational drivers of each individual for better team performance.
As the diagram shows, effective managers consider what they need to have in place to work right at the top of the model. The time, energy and money they will save by doing so are well worth the initial effort of putting these processes in place.
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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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