Leading People. Peter Mills

provides managers with the 10 things successful managers know and do. It is based on ‘The Leadership Framework’, a fully integrated model of principles and concepts for managing people. At the framework’s core is a strong manager-employee relationship based on working together to achieve business goals. This relationship is a two-way, trusting, productive, working relationship with team members working to their full potential.

      At the framework’s foundation is a body of knowledge known as Requisite Organization–requisite meaning what is required by the natural order of things. The concepts and principles were originally developed by Dr. Elliott Jaques and Lord Wilfred Brown, and are based on significant research and practice around the world. This research considers organizational design as a purpose-built structure, with systems of work and defined working relationships that enable people to work toward a common business purpose. The organization itself is activated by applying effective managerial leadership practices.

      The original Leadership Framework was developed by Barry and Sheila Deane, from PeopleFit Australasia, who simplified and condensed Jaques’ concepts and principles. They have kindly given me full access to their substantial and excellent work.

      Using PeopleFit’s work, I have complemented, modified, and updated it using the research of others and from my own extensive experience:

      

In senior human resources roles across a range of industries both in the private and public sector

      

In working directly with my own team as a leader on setting goals and improving performance

      

As an advisor and coach to CEOs, managers, and non-managers roles in organizations

       Using This Book

      To be successful, managers need a framework for their work. This book provides that framework. The book stands alone and each principle is complete. It defines what managers must know and must do.

      As all concepts are fully integrated by the end of the book, the reader will have a strong understanding of the nature of people, work, and working relationships. Using these principles will provide:

      

Clarity on the requirements of your role as a manager

      

Clarity on the role of others in the organization and how you should interact with them

      

Clear accountabilities and authorities for managerial work

      

Principles for managing in a way that builds trust and achieves business outcomes

      

Practices to develop the full capability of your team

      

An understanding of how to build effective working relationships across the organization

      

A way to quickly diagnose the systemic causes behind day-to-day issues and address root causes

      

A ”code of practice” for your managerial work

      

A checkpoint against which you can assess yourself

      This will enable you to build a high-performing team, to develop team members to their full potential and be personally successful.

      If these concepts are extended across an organization to all people managers, it will provide the additional benefits of:

      

Consistency in leadership practices across the organization

      

Improvement in leadership at the individual, team, and organizational levels.

      

A common language to solve people management issues

      

An organizational culture based on trust and fairness

      

Cross-organizational alignment

      

Efficient strategy execution

      

Improved staff engagement and effectiveness

      At the end of each chapter there is a list of ‘Tips for Getting Started’. These tips will help you on your journey to become a great manager and leader, and provide the basics for implementation. The companion website offers additional free information and tools, and the opportunity to partner for a more comprehensive implementation. It also provides additional content on other related topics. You can join The Leadership Framework Network and get access to all this information, or purchase content as you need it.

      Additional information available at:

      www.theleadershipframework.com.au

       Why Managers Fail

      WHILE MANAGER DEVELOPMENT is a critical issue for most organizations, many managers are still unclear as to their role, or do not have the knowledge, skills, or experience required to perform their role effectively. Widespread problems continue to exist in organizations because of a lack of coherent and integrated principles and practices relating to people at work – problems of compensation, layering, organization structure, systems of work, career development, poorly defined role relationships, inadequate leadership, poor planning, and dysfunctional behaviors. People still manage to do their work, but it is not done effectively. Renowned Canadian psychoanalyst and organizational psychologist Elliott Jaques articulated this at the 2002 Mid-Winter Conference of Consulting Psychology Division (XIII) of the American Psychological Association when he said, “The problems resemble back pain. Muscles get knotted up and may hurt and create discomfort, they may de-energize and cut down creativity, but people can still get on with their work, even though not as well as they might have done. So it is with management. People get tied up in psychological knots, and may get hurt and de-energized, but it does not preclude them from getting on with work. The fact that managerial organizations have been as successful as they have is due to the constructiveness and spirit of their people, who enjoy working, enjoy working together, and enjoy work opportunities however limited, and who rise above the shortcomings of organizational structures and managerial processes to make things work.” Jaques goes on to suggest that, even in the best companies, people “are at most 50% to 60% as effective as they could be,” and in public sector organizations less so.

      So why does this occur?

      The issues often start at the very beginning of a manager’s career. Their managerial journey usually begins by working hard to become a competent specialist. They get promoted to a managerial role or have management accountabilities thrust upon