Manage My Employees

Posts Tagged ‘Leadership’

Article #53

Micromanagement is often defined as “excessive control of people or projects” and it is popularly viewed as an evil not a good. But is it entirely?

I believe that the ambiguity comes when we try to get our arms around exactly what is excessive? Most micromanagers I have encountered do not realize they micromanage—but their people do!

I think you would probably agree that an appropriate level of control is absolutely necessary to run a solid enterprise. But what is an appropriate level of control? When does a manager cross the line and get too controlling or suppressive?

On the other end of the spectrum, however, a manager could be seen as weak, disconnected or ambivalent if they under-manage. They could get too little performance from their people precisely because they fail to provide enough oversight!

Do you find it challenging to balance being totally in control—with not being overly-controlling?

Balanced managers find just the right mix of connecting, supervising, measuring, oversight, autonomy, and keeping people accountable to results—all without being over-the-top, control-freakish, or heavy-handed.

4 Differences of Being a Balanced Manager Versus A Painful Micromanager

• Micromanagement kills the spirit and drive of people by obsessing about the minutiae. Balanced managers may initiate projects, set the goals or parameters for associates and then get out of the way—but they immediately re-engage whenever projects stall out or lag behind. Micromanagers get in the way because they can’t release control.

• Micromanagement clogs up the free flow of creative energies and inspired efforts. Micromanagers often manage granularly, meaning that they drive hard for results by ruling with an iron thumb. I coached an executive of a small family business on his micromanaging tendencies a few years ago. He admitted to me that he personally approved and edited all memos that his executive team wrote before they could be sent out! What a waste of time! But this is just like micromanagers, rather than want summaries or highlights of progress they immerse into the micro level of projects or tasks and snuff the very life out of people. In contrast, balanced managers want the bigger picture, want to be copied on reports, and receiving a recap of a project’s status is fine with them. However, when goals or metrics are not being reached they look to get things back on course, quickly—and they re-engage as much as needed to achieve outcomes.

Read more »

Article #51

by Chris Brogan and Julien Smith

The bestseller Trust Agents, by Brogan and Smith hits a big nerve today, one epitomized in its subtitle: Using The Web To Build Influence, Improve Reputation and Earn Trust.

Who doesn’t want to know how to do that? I suspect just about everyone who cares to grow their business or profits will.

One feature of Trust Agents I really liked is the number of tools (how to’s and links) the authors provide so that you can actually take action on what they recommend. For example there are tidbits on how to get followed on Twitter, how to use LinkedIn, secrets to successful blogging and more.

Here’s something that was missing from the book, however…a prescription for how to ‘manage’ all the social media like Facebook Twitter, LinkedIn and on and on in 45 minutes or less a day?!! Whew!

That aside, it’s virtually unarguable that building online trust in your company is most important today, a point the authors argue with compelling examples. As legendary advertiser David Ogilvy said, “People must trust you to buy from you, and the more they trust the more they buy.”

Here are six of the book’s best points from my reader’s view:

Focus on how to use internet tools to connect and build relationships with customers. Avoid concentrating on the operations side of making the tools make sense to you. Look instead toward seeking connections with people through different avenues to create a unique experience with potential customers.

Become a “One of Us” trust agent in order to gain credibility and belong to an online community. A community relates to and trusts those that appear to talk like them, hang out at the same places they do, and will be seen as honest and genuine in their opinions.

Read more »

Article #49

The economics of selling today, for sales managers in particular, is getting really tough out there, especially in B2B.

It’s not a time for complacency or cruise control selling. Nor is it wise to take comfort in our so-called “locked-in” accounts when every competitor is coming after them.

A lot is changing, and sales managers are groping for levers to pull as they attempt to increase sales.

The new economics of selling is something I’m calling Salesonomics™ because it’s all about making sales, making more sales to existing customers, and making new sales—all profitably!

In the coming months I’ll be rolling out a new book titled Salesonomics™ as well as an on-site managed process for sales teams which I’ve utilized in a number of companies with great success (hundreds of thousands and millions of dollars in additional business landed). 

Consider just four significant shifts (changes) in selling and I think you’ll agree, it’s imperative to target accounts (1) not successfully sold to before, (2) protect existing accounts from competitor infiltration, and (3) expand business with existing customers where we have underdeveloped opportunities.

4 Changes In Selling B2B Today:

Commoditizing everything! Differentiation used to be much simpler. Now however, areas like specialty manufacturing, high tech firms, specialized service, medical device companies, financial planners and advisors, as well as numerous other firms face stiffening competition. This development along with narrowing technological advantages, the ubiquity of the Internet for commerce, globalization, and shorter lifecycles for competitive strategy causes buyers to use commoditizing as a means to intensify negotiations with suppliers.

Read more »

Article #48

Is your company attracting then retaining bright, younger workers successfully? Is your community keeping its best and brightest or are they moving away for greener pastures?

This begs the question: What do Gen Y workers want anyway? And what exactly do they expect from a boss in terms of managing work efforts, effectively?

To prepare for a meeting with city leaders, I recently met with an interesting Gen Y/Xer (she’s between the demographer lines) who works in a professional staff position in my city.

Our city, like others, is attempting to understand how we can do a better job of keeping our best/brightest talent here—and not move away to your city, for example!

When this young lady shared with me how much she had enjoyed working at a previous position in Washington, D.C. (prior to moving to my city of Springfield, MO) especially how she had loved working for the management at that organization, I was really curious. I asked her to explain exactly what the management had done to make it such a great work experience.

Her answer was insightful, it also serves as a good reminder for what many Gen Y workers want today.

What Gen Yers Wish Managers Knew About Managing:

• Shed titles. Contrast that with managers who use a title (and its authority) to control others. The managers at the Washington organization weren’t interested in ‘controlling’ but in collaborating with employees more effectively, hence they shed the formality of their titles and got on her level. While they still held a title, of course, they didn’t allow those titles to create distance or tension—as in I’m over you and I’m your boss so I do as I say.

Read more »

Article #47

Guest Blogger: Jaclyn Boatright

What makes a customer choose one business over another? How can a business create a positive experience for its customers in a way that compels customers to return—over other options?

For the past five years I have conducted over 500 shopping experiences as a secret shopper. I have seen the good, the bad, and the ugly of quick-food restaurants, automotive services, and retail.

When you have a positive experience with a company that company sticks out to you, and you think about them whenever you need that particular service again. It creates customer loyalty.

Based on my 500+ experiences, there were six things the best employees did:

• Show customers that you enjoy your job by smiling and having an energetic tone in your voice. Happiness is catching and people like to be around happy people. It makes the customer feel good when they are walking away from the interaction. Also, it makes the customer associate the business with that positive feeling.

Read more »

Article #46

Have you seen Undercover Boss on CBS?

The reality show Undercover Boss places CEO’s undercover in their own companies to get a personal sense for what’s really going on. The CEO goes to work at an entry level or manager-in-training position, does the actual job, all the while no one except other upper leaders know his true identify.

I enjoy watching the show, it’s entertaining and titillates my intellectual curiosity about these companies.

It does point out an important reminder that one shouldn’t miss in my view: upper management often insulates itself far from reality, at least where it matters most—with employees.

Something I’m not at all surprised about from the first four episodes, is that the undercover CEO is struck by the discovery that many of the hallowed “programs and initiatives” created by top leaders, have failed to get consistently implemented across the enterprise by mid-management as well as employees.

They are truly caught off-guard to discover that their corporate “programs and procedures” are often looked on laughably, and/or with great disdain by the employees who actually do the day-in day-out work.

For example, the Hooter’s CEO episode was sad.

Read more »

Short Article #44

 Q. DEAR MARK: I understand the need and benefit of work-independence, but can an employee have too much independence? What are some of the signs? –Eric

A. DEAR ERIC: While it’s a very effective tool for motivating and retaining good employees, granting work independence (autonomy) can be too-much of a good thing. Besides, the best approach for further empowering employees may have little to do with more autonomy.

There are three signs to look for before concluding that more job independence is definitely needed in your workplace:

No. 1, is your employee overwhelmed? Are they missing deadlines frequently? Has their morale or attitude grown more negative recently? Do they appear more stressed, tense or short on patience than normal? If so, then visit with your employee and find out what’s going on. Even the most dedicated employee can only take being ‘overwhelmed’ for so long.

Granting more autonomy can help in this situation, but only if you do two things: allow your employee to delegate appropriate amounts of their workload to others, and secondly, if you make expressly clear the overall goals and priorities which will impact the employee’s work going forward.

Read more »

Short Article #43

There’s nary a day that some imperative about the need to change doesn’t come across my monitor.

For good reason, I must admit. Change is arguably no longer periodic but continuous.

Change can also be quite startling when your company is the one caught off-guard. There are a number of possible reasons why change staggers even the best-made plans, sending leaders scurrying for a brilliant response…

• A new competitor slips in one night, launches a web site that offers virtually identical product for half the price.
• A once nascent technology now threatens to lop off your company’s market share in a nanosecond of the time it took to gain it.
• In a matter of weeks, you lose some or all of your largest customers’ business and sales drop dramatically.
• You get a letter one day announcing that your bank refuses to extend the customary line of credit.

The kind of change we’re witnessing is precipitated by our turbulent economy and the rapid introduction of new technology, as well as expanding globalization. Not much control over that, is there?

Change, inordinate change, begs a nimble response by the most adaptive organizations.

However, this requires leaders who are no longer confounded by change, but rather, embrace revolutionary transformation as the new norm. Consequently, they develop cogent, coherent strategies in response.

I’ve collected a few quotes on ‘change’ over the last couple of months. I certainly like how they mentally nudge me to consider new perspectives and ideas. I’d be interested in what you think of these 10 Quotes on Change:

• “Be the change you want to see.” Mahatma Ghandi
• “Having common purpose is the best way to predict outcomes in an unpredictable situation.” Jessica Flannery, founder of Kiva.org
• “It is not good to have zeal without knowledge.” Proverbs
• “The world is becoming less and less an extrapolation of the past.” Gary Hamel, author

Read more »

Short article #41

In his book, The Future of Management, Gary Hamel contends that the current management model centered on control and efficiency, no longer suffices in a world where adaptability and creativity drive business success.

Hamel’s perspective is credible. As well as being a bestselling author he is ranked the #1 Influential Business Thinker by the Wall Street Journal. Some points from his book:

There will be new challenges to competitive viability and profitability: In a world of immediately accessible information, there is less room for mediocre products or services. 

Modern management needs to change its model for the future. "Modern management has also stymied the opinions and free-spirits of human beings by getting them to conform to rigid rules and procedures, and in so doing squandered creative problem solving or innovation. It has brought discipline to operations, but imperils organizational adaptability."

Management innovation can bring significant advantage. In studying over 100 management breakthroughs across two centuries, Hamel notes that major advances in managerial practices often

Read more »

Short article # 40 

The article from BNET (link below) makes an apt point regarding employee praise, a point that should be common knowledge for any manager or leader: 

• Principle: deserved praise is critical to feelings of connectedness, employee loyalty, as well as ongoing contribution of uninhibited effort.

One of my own consulting engagements closely mirrors the story told in the article: A small business client was suffering from accelerated turnover, and inexplicably, several professional staff level employees had resigned only months prior to collecting sizeable bonuses.

Can lack of praise or lack of relationship with one’s manager be a significant enough factor to prompt an employee to leave an employer, moreover, can it actually cause them to walk away from tens of thousands of dollars in bonus money? According to my first-hand experience, yes.

Thanks for the Bonus — I Quit! | The View from Harvard Business | BNET