Managing Managers – the only key to business success

Leadership as we all know begins with every single employee.

The key is to develop leadership qualities that are already “in” everybody.

The front line of leadership  comes with the essential role of the first line supervisor or manager.

If you have the wrong people in this role business performance and culture is substantially negatively affected and damaged for years to come.

Some fundamentals you have to avoid and essential requirements that you need:

Reduce specious and unnecessary opposition to change in Managers and Supervisors:

• Some have their own agendas
• Some ARE the problem
• Some talk with “forked tongues”
• Some can’t “hack” change
• Some just don’t want anyone else to affect their decision making
• Some want RESPONSIBILITY but not ACCOUNTABILITY
• Some will always want their way

SO

• They have to be prepared to consult
• They have to be prepared to be informed
• They have to be prepared to be told what the decision is
• Managing is not about consensus
• Managing is about leading into the unknown
• Managing is about vision but remember have more than others
• Managing is about developing your people and the business

Therefore

Business needs strategies, which deliver the results, and managers who can deliver the strategies!

The only way you can develop your business is through developing your people (and their families).

There is no other way.

 

Picture courtesy of

CareerCurve™ – Where Coaching Counts

 

Human Resources – Teacher and Educator of Human Souls

I was a guest at dinner last evening with “delightful and erudite folk”.

During our conversation I was asked why I “flinch” when I heard HR  “labeled” with the title of policy and procedure maker and the department of the pink slip! They (sadly) said that they have come to believe that their HR departments are like that.

The conversation was much about the fact that HR either stops them (as managers of people) doing what they want to with the people who work for them and slowing up progress with many forms and convoluted processes. The sad fact is that HR gets in the way of people doing their work.

The conversation went on about HR tending to support the status quo and hierarchies of seniority and payments for tenure. The list was lengthy.

They listened to my stories of conversations without policies and discussions about heart and soul and mission, about simple yet deep conversations.

On my door it says:

“When you enter here all drama stops and meaningful conversations start”.

When you enter my office discussions are about:

1. Making your last year before retirement the best years of your working life.
2. How I can help you identify the very best talent within you but yet to be discovered?
3. Conversation about legacy at work.
4. When this place is not for you I will support you beyond the time that you leave our organization.
5. When you enter here we will talk about “how we can rather  than what cannot”.

You see relationships are not formed and end in this Human Resource Department just because people sometimes have to leave when things did not work out for the best.

In this HR department it is where the questions of heart and soul are forged and formed into meaningful relationships. In this department we mean it when we say that the most important conversations, and always will be, are about nurturing the souls who come and stay a while, and in some cases much of their life. Some leave to do other work sooner but all will remember us.

My role in Human Resources is to do all of those business strategic things that are part of who I am and what I do to build and create a successful organization, but I never forget that everyone who comes through my door is first and foremost a human being. To be a teacher and educator of hearts and souls.

Most everyone goes away with “homework of the mind” when they leave my office, and we always have another conversation. This is the stuff that turns people into the very best they can be so that in turn our organization becomes the very best we can be.

picture by :rainbow-freak427.deviantart.com

 

Building an effective team

Building a team is not easy; the key is getting the right people in the right positions.

Like building your “football team”.  


Your Quarterback is the leader, the Full Back’s responsibilities includes protecting the Quarterback, blocking the opposing players from entering the offense half; the Safety is your last line of defense; the Wide Receiver is fleet of foot.

You need all of these positions (and then some) to make the perfect team.  

In building any successful team you have to use their talents in the best way possible.  Don’t let half job people slow your business down.  Get the right people in the right positions, those who put their heart and soul into what they do!

Observations of an effective team:

1. They can make mistakes but they recover from them – Fast.
2. They cover each other at all times.
3. They care about each other.
4.  They apologize with sincerity when they make mistakes.
5. They understand that it is Ok to agree to disagree; they also understand that the team comes first.
6. Everyone has a voice.
7. They have developed trust in each other.
8. They have a mission.
9. They will achieve!

Let your employees talk, if they have a suggestion, hear them out.  It gives them self-assurance and a confidence that they are an important part of the organization.  You will be thanking them later!

Finding committed/focused team members in your organization is essential.  Your success depends on it!

Remember that when you have collected all these skills you have created a sincere, respectful, confident, trusting, and committed group of people with the ability to become a winning team.

A great team develops a rhythm, a confidence, a pace and a winning game plan.

Your next job as a leader is to keep them for others will want them too.

 

The real role of HR folks – A CEO’s Checklist

 1. Influence and develop the business strategy

2. Make the Business success

3. Make the people a success

4. Develop people and the processes

5. You are business first

6. Understand that you need to be able to connect the business dots

7. Understand that you role is to uncomplicate the business world for all around you

8. Understand that your job is to give your knowledge away

9. Remember that the reason you got into HR was to create and develop and build the business and the people

10. Remember that leadership was never about you

Always remember you are business first and people first in that order.

Always remember there is no mission without margin

Always remember that your job is to build a business all else will follow.

Always remember to speak business and not techie HR.

And always always remember understanding people is always more important than polices and procedures. Those are givens.

You will never be great in what you do until you lead greatness in others.

 

The Seven Capabilities that deliver results!

I recently wrote about the seven sins and then the seven virtues of performance reviews, now I write about the Seven Capabilities that employees must have in order for the business to strive for the very best it can be.

* Problem Solving and Planning

The ability to solve problems and find solutions systematically; finds the best conclusions as a result of inclusive conversation with co-workers at all levels; Produces specific, measurable and achievable plans in order to deliver solutions.

* Forecasting

Realistically predicts outcomes based on an objective review, evaluation and analysis of evidence; obtains the evidence and data which enables forecasts to be made; decisions not made randomly but on sound evidence and business insight.

* Financial Awareness

Understands and interprets numbers and makes the connections that lead to conclusions and decisions that form the base of actions.

* Communication skills

Be a great listener – listen to understand, competent on computer, paper, and telephone, good on their feet and constantly attempts to improve the skills of persuasion and connecting with others at all levels of the business.

* Entrepreneurism

Constantly seeks out improvement opportunities and seeks change for improvement to grow the business and the people who work there. Does not accept that Status Quo is necessarily the right thing for the business.

* Team Work

Are reliable and collaborative and supportive team players who look for opportunities to help; ask questions to advance understanding; participates in meetings; doesn’t wait to be told what to do- offers ideas and solutions.

* Customer Excellence and Quality Care

Knows the internal and external customer, anticipates their needs and requirements; produces realistic plans and programs to deliver results; constantly looks for way to delight the customer and improve quality of service. Displays a personal commitment to the customer.