Archive for Management Topics
Taking Over a Position
Posted by: | CommentsUnless you’re starting a new department with a new team, chances are you will be taking over manager position.
Taking over an existing team after their previous manager leaves has different challenges than getting a team that has never worked together as a team before.
In fact, there are pros and cons to taking over either a team that had a good manager or a team that had a bad manager.
Taking Over for a Good Manager
If you are taking over a team that had an effective supervisor, you could be in luck, and you could be facing some tough challenges.
An effective supervisor knows how to motivate employees. Therefore, you might be inheriting a highly motivated team, already working well together, already producing as expected or better than expected.
The downside of taking over a previously well-managed team is that you naturally want to keep that momentum going, but you, especially if you are a brand new supervisor, have big shoes to fill. The team might hold you to the level of the previous manager. They’re used to things being done a certain way, so when you come in and change things, you might meet with some resistance.
Why change things that are working for your sake? One thing a manager must be able to do, adopt new ways of doing things. It’s more difficult for a group to make a change than for you to make a change. If they don’t like what you do they will most likely make things difficult so if it’s not broke don’t fix it!
It’s really important how you tread. You can set yourself up for a lot of problems right away, especially if you aren’t really a people person in the first place.
Take notes of things the manager did that was effective. Were they promoted? Then it’s a good time to look yourself in the mirror and make some changes to your style if need be.
And there’s more…
Remember, every time you go to a new department, company, etc., it’s a time to re-invent yourself. Just make sure you can pull it off and stay consistent.
Don’t rock the boat too early… (Usually)
Fit in, learn the social hierarchy. In every group there are some dominant personalities and it’s not necessarily the oldest or the supervisor.
You need those people in your corner whether you like it or not. They are a treasure trove of information and suggestions, ask them for theirs. They will typically spout off some things they didn’t like about the previous manager, don’t take the bait. Just let the comments fall and DO NOT repeat them. They are testing you.
Everyone probably has suggestions. Whip up a questionnaire on your computer if your company will allow and give them out. Make sure you ask your new people what their career goals are. Do they know how to get promoted? When did they have their last performance review? What do they feel they need to work on? What do they love about their job? Do they know all the benefits the company offers?
All those questions? You will learn a lot as you gather the information for them, information you need to know anyway! And don’t tell them where to get it. It’s your great opportunity to earn valuable good will with them. They need to talk to the HR manager for some of the answers? Great! Make an appointment with the HR person for them and walk them back there when they are scheduled and say to the HR person the question, etc.
Taking Over for a Poor Manager
Let’s say the team you’re taking over had a poor manager before you were hired. As you might expect, or have already found out, they may be unmotivated, sub-par performers. And they may be looking at you with a suspicious eye, wondering if you’re going to be more of the same poor leadership they’re used to.
On the other hand, a team that had a poor manager might also be very ripe for good leadership skills. Even if you don’t have leadership or management experience, you can still come across as a confident, experienced manager and your team doesn’t have to know any different.
This is a great opportunity for you to shine in your company. People will typically not be willing to welcome you with open arms. You will need to get out there, smile, talk to people, chat, be the nice human you are. Let it show. Carry a small note pad down so you can write things down about people, hobbies, kids, interests, etc. Also write down questions the employee has that may need follow up. Don’t trust your memory, you’re overwhelmed, you will forget things.
Ask your boss for suggestions, they are sure to have many. Ask them what they think some of your first priorities need to be, second, etc.
It will come up…
The elephant in the room… The things the bad manager did that made everyone indignant. Don’t gloat. Try to have private conversations with the vocal people. Don’t commiserate with them. Just tell them you are sorry and hope to move forward and would like them to be on board with you. Then move the conversation forward. Ask them for suggestions about something, anything at that point to turn the conversation forward.
If you are a manager you are not perfect, no one is. For all your strengths that others may appreciate this other manager was most likely good at some things you aren’t. You never know who you may work with again, don’t say anything. Many people have made the mistake and regret it for years.
Some First Steps…
No matter how you’re coming into your new manager position, one of your first priorities should be to hold a “one-on-one” meeting with each team member. Use this one-on-one time to get to know your team members individually. Ask them questions about their take on the team as a whole, how they fit in, the effectiveness of the team, what they like and dislike about their job, what they’d like from you, etc. Use the questionnaire idea mentioned above if need be.
But, be careful not to come across like you’re looking for “dirt” on other team members or their previous manager.
A one-on-one session might also be a good time to establish your expectations for them and the team. Of course, you should follow up your expectations with the team as a whole, in a team meeting. But a one-on-one meeting lets you get to know each other and can give you valuable information as to what the team expects. This information can go a long way to making your transition as their new supervisor a seamless transition.
Managing Change
Posted by: | CommentsManaging change in the workplace is a constant job function for a supervisor. The change might be as simple as a new customer service
policy, or it might be as impactful as merging with another company where job layoffs are inevitable.
What makes change easy or difficult to deal with is how your team adapts to it. And how your team adapts to it has a lot to do with how you as a supervisor manages the change.
Some people are exhilarated by change, and even need regular changes in their job duties to be happy, but many others hate change, and are even terrified by it. Rolling out a big change might even turn your best team member in to a difficult employee due to their fears. You’re not just managing the change itself, but helping everyone adjust to it and, ideally, even embrace it.
There are a couple things that you absolutely need to do in order for it all to work…….
- Be consistent….. Sounds simple but often overlooked. Keep your message and behavior consistent.
- Keep is simple…. The more complicated you make something the more your people will resist it.
- Communicate….. Often and clearly!
- Be optimistic….. Look at the positives for anything, it’s you JOB and responsibility to sell the program, that’s what your company pays you for! The trick is to listen to your team, be sincere, and keep it positive.
- Lead by Example! Do NOT let yourself breath a word of negativity about the change, not even to your support staff!
Communicate Frequently
The biggest key to effectively managing change in the workplace is communication. Just as you want to know what changes are coming and what they mean for you, so does your team.
With changes come rumors. One way to stop, or at least reduce rumors, is to keep information flowing both ways. As soon as it’s feasible to start communicating the changes, do so, even if you don’t have all the information yet. Give information to your team and take viable team concerns to your supervisors.
Communicate Honestly
People appreciate honesty, even if it’s bad news they’re receiving. For instance, if jobs will be lost during the change, let them know some jobs will be eliminated and why. Let them know when this will happen so every day they’re not wondering “is today the day.”
One thing that can hurt your credibility is if you give them a “sales job” and they can tell. You need to focus on the positives. If there are some negatives it’s okay to acknowledge them, a good way to move the conversation forward is to have a brainstorming session as a group some effective ways to overcome whatever negatives.
This doesn’t mean there will be no hard feelings. But it will go smoother.
Engage Others
Some on your team may embrace the changes coming. Use them to help allay fears with the others on your team.
Empower those on your team to help with the changes if possible. Even better, engage them in the decision making process if at all possible – even if it’s a small part of it. When people have a say in the change, they will embrace it quicker.
If you have group meetings use a dry erase board or maybe a giant piece of paper. Brainstorm benefits and difficulties, everything anyone can think of. Then systematically go through each item and ask the group which things they control. Most things on the list are usually controllable and as a group it helps eliminate mental road blocks.
Plan, plan, then plan some more.
Good planning before the change is essential to a smooth change transition. Make sure your plan includes in-depth communication to the employees, has contingencies for issues that might arise during the change, and is clear on who is responsible for which parts of a change.
Even the smoothest change may still ruffle feathers. A change that is undeniably for the best is likely to meet with resistance, as odd as it may sound. Some people just hate change. You’re more likely to see this among the older generations and among employees who have been around a long time, doing the same thing year after year. They tend to like the predictability. They do what they do, how they do it, because “that’s what we’ve always done”.
The key with that group is make sure you don’t minimize them, if you do you risk alienating them. Some of the most tenured employees can be your strongest allies, you can’t afford undermining your leadership by mishandling them. I always had to be aware of this tendancy in myself because I love change and new things, but I learned to always be aware of political capital and use it. Use it or lose it.
If you have a group meeting you can also use it as a productive way to do some planning. Involve the group, get some ideas, you will usually be happy you did and it will make your job easier.
But you, armed with a plan and strong communication, can win them over.
Management Topics
Posted by: | CommentsAhhhh…………. Being a manager………….. 
I can’t count how many times over the years I’ve had managers tell me they are “tired of baby-sitting”, “why should I have to tell them over and over”, and add your own……..
But managing is essential and doing well can be a more rewarding experience than you can imagine, from “thank you” cards, seeing subordinates get promoted and be successful, to getting your own promotions.
I can remember a couple years ago telling an Assistant Manager how impressed I was with him and I bet he would go far. He said, “You know, you are to thank for where I am.” I looked at him, not knowing what he meant, so I asked him what he meant. “You interviewed me a couple years ago, you were leaving that building the next day because you were promoted and you told me I could go as far as I wanted with this company”, he said, “Don’t you remember that?”
Sadly, no I didn’t….. Why? Because I did hundreds of interviews and in almost every one I could see potential in those people.
The same thing happened with another manager, I had worked with her when she was a department supervisor, she was promoted and in passing one day I congratulated her for her promotion. She said, “It’s all thanks to you because you always told me I could be anything I wanted.” Of course I didn’t remember because I said that to many people over the years, but I smiled to myself, glad I had taken the time back when I did to encourage her.
The power of words….. The power to help people move up and move on…..
How will you use your power?
I can tell you there is NOTHING more rewarding than helping others be successful.
Management Topics is such a large clump of topics that don’t really fit in my other categories, but I want you to know, they are all related.
What kind of influence are you going to be? You have complete power over the answer to that question.
Time Management
Posted by: | CommentsNew managers and experienced managers all face at least one common challenge – time management in the workplace.
A meeting here, an employee crisis there, another meeting, terminating an employee, answering questions from the team, chatting with co-workers who stop by… before you know it, your work day is gone and you feel like you’ve accomplished nothing substantial or tangible.
You can feel like you are in a maze with no way out and no idea where you are going.
Before being able to effectively manage your day, you need to be aware of time-suckers. These can come to you as legitimate aspects of your job or extraneous, non work-related time leeches.
Learning how to identify and manage time suckers will add productivity to your day and make your manager wonder how you get so much done.
Track Your Day
Spend a week tracking everything you do in a day. If you have an informal hallway meeting with your boss for 15 minutes, log it. If you take a quick smoke break, log it. If you answer four phone calls from your family, log them.
This will open your eyes to just how much time is spent on non-productive tasks and identify to you those which are the worst offenders. And you might be surprised to know which really take the most time.
The higher level of manager you are and the more employees you manage, the more your time needs to flow, so tracking down every thing won’t work. You may need to take notes at the end of the day and look at time robbers then.
The other thing you need to do is analyze what has to be done vs. what doesn’t. As a manager one of your primary duties is to protect time.
As I always told my team, “Time is my only non-renewable resource.”
You must be considerate of your team’s time if you have any hope of being successful. There are other factors for time as well. I said this on the another page and I will recommend it again, David Allen’s book, Getting Things Done has many great tips. He talks about removing yourself from distractions, or more importantly getting them out of your way for real productivity.
Mental “clutter” can get in the way of every other kind of productivity. It causes you, as a manager, to miss opportunities and not fully connect with what is going on now. I’ll say it again, you need to know what things aren’t essential to really move the needle on productivity.
Meetings
The larger the company you work for, the more your day may be managed by meetings you’re invited to and expected to attend. Accept only those you really need to attend.
And when it’s your turn to lead meetings, invite only those who are truly necessary (out of respect for their time management) and learn to run an expeditious meeting. It’s not a bad thing to have a reputation for holding short meetings!
Have an agenda and handouts so people can take notes, this will keep the meeting going and help keep everyone focused.
There are exceptions to everything I said above…. IF you are in a dynamic change situation, “turning things around”, building your team or any other number of those types of scenarios, it’s important to have meeting with all personnel that may impact, help, or whatever. I am going to need to information on specific steps for those scenarios because I get questions about those topics all the time.
Chatters
Every workplace has a chatter. Or several chatters. They want to talk about last night’s TV shows, the condition of the economy, and their inconsiderate spouse, children or neighbors. If six people stop you to chat during the day, even for only 10 minutes each, you’ve just lost an hour of work. Are the chatters stopping to talk to your team members? Are the chatters on your team?
While you don’t necessarily want to snub everyone who wants to chat with you, you should be armed with some effective conversation-enders so you can return to the job you’re being paid for.
The further up you move in management the more important it is for you to chat constructively. You have to chat some but you need to make sure you spread it around to everyone.
Another important key is to make sure your employees don’t think you are wasting time. Be aware what is going on. If everyone is under pressure to get things done, you better be right there in the thick of things and not out there “chatting”.
Don’t Do What You Don’t Need To Do
Two ways you can manage your time more effectively are to prioritize your day in a list and to delegate tasks.
Before you start your day, make a list of the tasks you need to accomplish that day. As much as possible, work on that number one task until it’s done, then proceed to the next task. You might want to put the most important task on the top of the list, or you might want to put the task you hate the most on top, just to get it done and off your mind.
Delegation has multiple benefits as well. First, you don’t spend time doing a task someone else can do.
And second, entrusting a task to someone on your team gives them more responsibility, increases their self esteem and lets them become more important to the company because they can do more.
Here are a few tips that will make delegating easier.
- Start small. You need to start with small tasks to get used to it.
- Make sure any task you give to someone matches their experience level.
- Ask the person to repeat back to you what you said. Don’t make it sound like you want to make sure “they” are right, tell them you are making sure you spoke correctly.
- Make sure you tell them where to reach you if they have a question.
- Give a specific timeline.
- Don’t get angry if it turns out wrong, ask what you said to help yourself understand how it went wrong.
There are many ways to help you improve your time management in the workplace. Try several and see which work best for you. You (and your boss) will be glad you did!
