8 Deal with your in-tray once a day. Take each item and: deal with it; delegate it; file it or dump it.
9 Plan your telephone calls. Save them up and do them in a block so they’ll be quicker and more focused.
The worst feeling as a manager is when we think that the workload is too much for us. These nine tips make sure that you stay in control and go home each evening feeling on top of your workload.
Being a great time manager leaves you with more time for your people.
Now it’s time to turn to the people you are managing. This chapter asks you to think about the individual interactions you have every day. Coaching and training are key managerial behaviours. Keeping your staff motivated is also crucial. Also included are secrets to dealing with tricky situations that, if handled badly, may lead to poor performance from your employees.
Everybody in your team is different. One might have more ability; another might have a better attitude. Some you can leave to get on with tasks; others you need to oversee more closely. Because each person is an individual, you manage each in an individual way.
The managerial approach laid out here is adapted from Ken Blanchard and Paul Hersey’s Situational Leadership model. If you’re a new manager, then it’s a great starting place. You’ll find their book in the ‘Further Reading’ section at the back.
Say to yourself: what is it my employees need from me? They need direction and they need support. Sometimes I give both, at other times only one, and sometimes neither!
What is it that helps me decide?
■ Assess personal confidence. I first assess how high their confidence is in a situation. If it’s low, then I’ll consider how best I might support them to build their self-belief.
one minute wonder How much does your managerial style vary from employee to employee? How much direction and support have you given to each? Does it respect their different needs? Have you ever used the wrong behaviour when responding to an employee?
■ Assess personal ability. How competent are they in this situation? Have they got the skills? Do I need to think about training or offering advice?
What if I have a person who lacks confidence and is also not yet competent? Then I use a style that gives a clear direction, yet is also supportive and encouraging. A newly promoted person often needs this. Of course, as their competence grows, so will their confidence.
Perhaps someone is confident but has done something wrong? Then they only need direction. I might coach them. Work with them to make sure they see where they might have got it wrong. You’ll get people who are great performers but who lack confidence. Here I’m supportive. I remind them of what a great job they’re doing.
Of course you sometimes use all four different approaches with the same person. That’s the skill. Seeing the situation clearly and choosing the right managerial behaviour.
What does a high flyer need? Not much really, but I’d take the time to let them know I appreciate them. They don’t need more self confidence or direction – they probably need promoting!
Your management style must respond to each individual’s ability and self confidence.
2.2 Know the ‘High Five’ that will motivate
A motivated team looks at obstacles as things to be overcome. A demotivated team sees the same obstacles as proof of the pointlessness of their efforts. Here are my ‘High Five’ tips to deliver sky-high levels of motivation.
1 Give recognition and praise for what your people achieve. Catch people doing things right. Give the praise quickly and make sure you say why it was important.
2 Make the work challenging. People who are stretched maintain higher levels of motivation than people who are underused. Get your people out of their comfort zones!
3 Make the work interesting. We all find different work interesting. The trick is to get to know what work is interesting to each individual in your team.
“Really great people make you feel that you, too, can become great” Mark Twain, American writer
4 Create development paths. Are your people doing the same things they were doing this time last year? Then they are unlikely to be developing new skills.
5 Encourage real ownership and responsibility. When I own something I have more incentive to make sure I’m doing it to a high standard. Delegate whole tasks where you can. Make sure you’ve read our seven ‘must do’ delegation tips (2.6)!
If you’re a good manager you’ll know that there are some real ‘turn-offs’ that demotivate people. But demotivated people don’t always tell you what it is that’s demotivating them. So you have to make sure you find out. Ask things such as “What is the biggest factor that prevents you from achieving your goals?” My bet is that a big demotivator will soon emerge.
Some demotivators you can deal with and some you can’t. Be creative and try and see the situation from the employee’s point of view. Tackle the demotivators together. Sometimes just being listened to is enough to get them fired up again.
Mastering motivation takes time and insight, but the contribution it unleashes can be amazing.
2.3 Training is a chance to grow your own
Someone once remarked, “Everyone asks about the cost of training. But have they ever considered the cost of not training?” Nobody’s good at everything. That’s why a manager takes the time to train his or her people. But you must be systematic in the way you train. Even when it’s only one-to-one.
Always prepare for the training session. Define the training objective in a single sentence. For example: “By the end of the session you will be able to locate a given file in a server within one minute.” Notice the measurement? It’s vital if you are going to encourage a sense of achievement.
Next, decide exactly how you’re going to structure your session. Don’t ignore this. Effective trainers know that time spent on this increases the session’s success. Will you need equipment? Where would be the best place to train?
“What nobler employment…than that of the man who instructs the rising generation”
Marcus Tullius Cicero, Ancient Roman philosopher
On the day itself, make sure you go through the following steps:
■ Clarify with the trainee(s) what they are about to learn. Tell them the objective you prepared for the session.
■ Demonstrate the skill. Let them see the whole skill. Then repeat it slowly. Explain what you are doing and why it’s important.
■ Do the exercise together. This isn’t always possible. But if you can go through