May 31, 2011. Paul Hixon
credit: SvadilfariThere’s quite a difference in being an OK manager and being a good (or even great) manager. This post will provide some of those intangibles on how to be a good business manager.
The first thing you’ll have to discover, especially if you’re a new manager, is that you no longer do the work of the team. The team does. Let them. You don’t have to tell them how (unless they clearly don’t know), and you should judge results, not methods.
You need to learn to be transparent in your decision making. Let your entire team know the process and criteria you use to make decisions – maybe even let them contribute to the criteria if the decision affects them directly.
Practice MBWA (Google it) as much as you can and establish a real open door policy. Never belittle someone if they come to you about some problem with work. You’re accessibility can be one of your strongest traits.
Figure out what motivates each and every member of your team. For some it could be on-site daycare, for others it’s telecommuting one day a week, and for some it might just be a job and a paycheck. Figure this out – it will be important as you make decisions moving forward.
Look for career advancement for your team. Next time you see an accounting manager job description posted by your friends in Accounts Receivable, ask if anyone on your team is interested in applying. If they are, help them out with resume writing or a reference!
Lastly, show your people it’s OK to fail – in fact that’s the only way to learn. Next time you fail, make it a point to let your people know how you failed, how you fixed the mistake, and what you’ll do differently the next time to make sure it never happens again. Demonstrate the behavior you’d like them to imitate.
These are only six (of many) hints that can differentiate you from the “OK” boss out there. Implement them all, and see your career soar!
Updated May 31, 2011. Published May 30, 2011. Paul Hixon
