‘Management is about arranging and telling, leadership is about nurturing and enhancing’ – Tom Peters
- Management is more than administration, the use of IT systems, and the execution of processes, procedures and practices set out in a rule book.
- Good soft skills are crucial; having an MBA or being good at executing processes, administration or complying with a rule book doesn’t make you a good or effective manager.
- A manager focuses on making things happen, the detail within a big picture, what their boss wants, controlling and achieving plans, problem solving and creating order, stability and consistency.
- Not all managers are leaders, but good managers demonstrate some of the attributes of leadership.
- Many people strive to be managers because they see it as career progression; it’s only career progression if they have the aptitude and characteristics of a manager, otherwise it’s a painful career cul de sac.
- Good managers know that organisation, processes, plans & management theories are not a panacea; what matters most is getting people aligned and supportive.
- A good manager is well organised, a clear thinker, an effective speaker, and is good at influencing those around and above them; they work hard, run a tight ship and are respected by those that work for them.
- Good managers have good judgement; they know that a purely short term focus on the next quarter’s objectives can lead to disappoint in later quarters – they take proactive action to mitigate future risks.
- All enterprises change and transform; an effective manager sees change coming and proactively influences how it will affect their domain – a manager resistant to change will be replaced.
- A good manager never demands that others do something that they would baulk at doing themselves; don’t expect your people to work hard if you don’t set an example by working hard too.
- The quality of their manager is a key factor influencing an employee’s decision to resign and leave an enterprise; poor managers do not command the respect or loyalty of their staff.
- A good manager regularly finds time to helicopter away from the day to day to look forward to pre-empt future risks; those that don’t will always be reactive to events.
- People adopt the behaviours and attitudes of the person they report to; appoint good, professional, objective, inspiring managers if you want objectives to be met and loyalty from staff.
- Encourage your staff to bring you problems together with options for their resolution; if they stop bringing you problems and solutions something is wrong.
- Never shout at people to get things done; if you have to shout you have lost control and people will be selective about or avoid telling you what you need to know.
- Listen, listen and listen even harder; a good manager knows they do not have a monopoly on good ideas or better ways of doing things.
- Objectives are rarely met with a manager who micro-manages, communicates poorly, doesn’t delegate, doesn’t trust their staff, blames their team and fails to accept responsibility.
- Good managers know their people are like plants; if you sow the seeds right, nurture them, give them the right sustenance and environment they will grow and thrive to the benefit of all.