Sometimes managers are promoted so quickly they forget what it was like when they first started out.
There are a lot of management competencies that have been developed through research over the years. They provide a good solid foundation for developing management skills and improving performance. However, they sometimes feel intangible, so when I’m working with managers I sometimes use a very simple exercise to help clarify to the managers which are the most important skills and behaviours they need in their organisations. It goes something like this:
1. Think about the best managers you have ever worked for and ask yourself these questions. Why? What did they say? What did they do? What did they not do? What made them the best? How did they make you feel?
2. Write down a list of all the things you thought of in answer to these questions and then describe the things you saw, felt and heard and record these too.
3. Now think about your own management style when you are working with your employees. How many of these things that you have just consciously thought about are a reflection of you? What would your employees say about you? How would they answer the questions above? How do you make them feel?
4. Would they say the same things about you? If yes, then you’re probably on the right track. If they’d say something different or unexpected, then these things may be opportunities to develop your skills. Feedback is always useful. We can’t know what our own Blind Spots are until we do.
There are a few important caveats to remember I think:
1. Each of your employees is different. The things they value in the way they want to be treated and managed will vary and it could vary enormously. So spending time getting to know your team members on an individual basis is extremely important. The most successful managers know their people and they understand what their people will respond to best. The most successful candidates in the right roles that last, are always those who were hired for their strengths and personal qualities for the role.
2. Organisations have personalities, cultures and values too. Think about the things that you do that your organisation values in you. How does that translate to your team? We could refer to this as parallel branding: the alignment of a corporate culture to a human brand.
Our consultants at David Alan focus on placing people that last and help our clients ensure they get the best out of their staff. We also save clients time by sending over the CV and a video clip enhancing our candidates’ unique personalities. We work with our clients over the first 100 days to ensure clients get the best of the staff placed by David Alan Consultants.
Tags: Behaviours, Blind Spots, Corporate Culture, David Alan, David Alan Consultants, Develop your Skills, Developing Management Skills, Employees, Feedback, Human Brand, Improving Performance, Management, Management Competencies, Management Skills, Management Style, Organisation, Parallel Branding, Performance, Rosanne Shochot, Skills, Team, Values
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