The Management Commandments
These 10 commandments can help anyone be a better manager.
1. Don’t ask others to do what you have not or will not do yourself. When your employees see you roll up your sleeves and get your hands dirty, they are less likely to complain when you ask them to do the same.
2. Treat your customer service personnel as you want your customers treated. If you have a gorgeous customer waiting area stocked with coffee and donuts, don’t have an employee lounge with a wobbly, folding card table and a leaky water cooler.
3. Look for the good things. Take the time to find the good things that went right and use them to praise employees with the same fervor you save for browbeating the monumental screw-ups. They’ll remember the praise even longer.
4. Don’t be afraid to take advice from your employees. No matter how much time you spend in the office, no matter how good your reporting systems are, no matter how many meetings you hold, no one is closer to the job than the people doing it every day.
5. Remember no one is indispensable, especially you. If you think the world can’t go on without you, think again. Disposing of dead wood in an organization allows others to grow. If you hired a loser, forgive yourself, make the cut, and move on to other more fertile ground.
6. Remember no one is infallible, especially you. Mistakes happen. Fix the problem and move on. Be supportive, not vindictive. If you support your employees when they make mistakes, you can expect them to support you when the shoe is one the other foot.
7. Make what you do match what you say. If you require everyone to park in the rear of the building, you should too. If you have a business dress code, don’t show up in jeans and cowboy boots just because you can. If you expect employee morale to be high, don’t walk around with a chip on your shoulder.
8. Find ways to reward besides handing out money. A pat on the back can go a long way. Even better is a group pat on the back. Successful team efforts deserve a celebration for all, not just the team leader.
9. When delegating, be specific and generous with authority. Don’t tell someone to do a job without passing along enough power to get it done. But be specific with the limits. Telling your secretary to use her best judgment to get papers to the Honolulu office might mean her return two weeks later with a great tan.
10. If you want others to follow, you must lead. Followers want four things from a leader: The constancy that you are in control no matter what happens. The consistency that you do what you say you’ll do. The support you give them knowing trouble must first get past you to attack them. The trust they place in the faith of your words and deeds.
Source: Wolford & Associates, Irvine, CA. Web site: www.hmeconsultant.com.
You have reached your article limit for the month. Subscribe now to access this article plus other member-only content.
- Award-winning Medical Content
- Latest Advances & Development in Medicine
- Unbiased Content