Management done well looks easy. Some people seem to be naturals when it comes to managing people, process or money while for others it just seems to be one big struggle. If you are to succeed in management there are certain skills that you need to master, including:
Prioritising
As soon as you become a manager, multi-tasking becomes the norm. You no longer just have to think about one thing, you now need to be able to prioritise your own and usually set priorities for others. Key to this is knowing what your key deliverables are and ensuring that these are given appropriate priority.
Delegating
Management is all about getting results through others. Sadly while many managers recognise this, many struggle to delegate effectively. There are a whole host of reasons why people don’t delegate. They worry that the other person will not do as good a job. They worry that the other person will do the job better. Often they will hold on to things because they like do them. Another common reason is that it will be quicker to do it yourself. The reality is that if you don’t choose to delegate, your chances of success as a manager greatly diminish.
Motivating
Motivating is all about moving people towards achievement of an outcome. It could be a faster close down of a monthly reporting cycle, changing the way a process works or team working. Part of your skill set as a manager is to understand what motivates those that you manage. Everyone is different. Some people want reward in financial terms, others want appreciation or recognition or a happy work environment. If you are to excel as a manager, you need to keep people motivated.
Hiring or Recruiting
So much of your success depends on the results you achieve through others. It is therefore key that you get the right people, with the right skills and the right attributes on your team. Yet many managers are at best competent when it comes to recruiting and selecting. If this is an area where you struggle, invest in acquiring the skills to be a successful recruiter.
Decision Making
People will look to you as the manager to take decisions. An indecisive manager frustrates staff and leaves them feeling lost. People may not always like the decisions that you take but will respect you more if you learn to take a decision.
Problem solving
Your job as a manager is to get results. As you try to get results, obstacles will arise and part of your job is to find or help others find solutions to problems. Part of the challenge is being systematic and making sure that you are tackling the real problem rather than something surface level. Diagnosis of the problem is key before you start thinking about solutions.
Management is challenging but is also rewarding. You can become an even better manager by focusing on developing the essential skills above. So what’s your next step?
By: Duncan Brodie
Posts Tagged ‘Struggle’
Essential Management Skills
March 30th, 2010Management – The 4 Benefits of Delegating
March 24th, 2010
Delegation is an area that many managers struggle with. This is surprising not least because one of your key roles as a manager is to get results through others. One would have thought that as part of the appointment process you would have been evaluated in terms of your ability to be a great manager. Reality is that people are often moved in to management roles based on how good you are at doing current role. For example, the great sales person who is promoted to sales manager, the technically great accountant who is put in charge of a team are just a couple of examples.
If you are to succeed as a manager and deliver great performance, it is essential that you understand the benefits of delegating and that you start delegating. So what are the benefits?
Benefit 1: Allows you to focus
When you delegate tasks or jobs that you do not need to be doing, it frees you up to focus on delivering on the areas that your success as a manager will be measured. Too often managers end up spending time on tasks that they should no longer be doing, perhaps because they think they are the only person who can do them or maybe just because they like doing them. Focus on what your success as a manager will be evaluated.
Benefit 2: Opportunity for staff development
Few people want to turn up at work and do the same thing day after day for months or years on end. They like to be stretched and challenged and delegating tasks and responsibilities is a great way of doing this. The great news is that this type of experiential development costs nothing apart form a little bit of time briefing and monitoring.
Benefit 3: Opportunity to develop your skills
Delegation is not just about telling someone that you are no longer doing something and telling the other person that they are now doing it. You need to plan the handover, brief the person, check understanding, set review points, design a review process and give feedback as a minimum. In other words you are getting the opportunity to develop key management skills like communication, planning and monitoring.
Benefit 4: Increased motivation
When staff know that there are going to be opportunities to take on new tasks, responsibilities and learn new things, they will be more motivated to do a good job. Delegating gives a very strong message to others that you trust them, are interested in their growth and want to help them to progress.
Delegation offers real opportunities for you and those that you manage. So what’s your next step?
By: Duncan Brodie
