Mark Graban, Author and Creator of LeanBlog.org, found in his experience “Bad managers tell employees what to do, good managers explain why they need to do it, but great managers involve employees in decision making and improvement.” Think about this. It makes sense, but how many of us have fallen into the habit of just telling our employees what to do. It is an easy trap to fall into. Employees have to take ownership of what we are trying to accomplish but do they really understand what we want?
First, it is important to hire the best people. You are only as good as the people on your team. We hope that the people on our team are actually better than we are. I hear dry cleaners complain that the job pool is not very good. So that leaves it to you to learn better interview techniques. Maybe a diamond in the rough is right in front of you and you don’t realize it. Go online and google “interview techniques.” You will be able to pick up helpful hints.
You can have the best people but you also need to be a good motivator and communicator as well. Employees work really hard because they want to impress someone. Figure out what your employees want and how you can give that to them. Money is not the only motivator to use. Positive feedback goes a long way. “Positivity breeds positivity.” If you are one of those bosses that only sees what is wrong, it can be demoralizing to the staff. Things will go wrong. Fix them and move on. Ask the staff how the mistakes can be avoided in the future. Remember, you need to ask for your employees input on making systems better.
And speaking of things going wrong, if you make a mistake, apologize! Your employees will appreciate your honesty. No one is perfect. Be real with your staff. They don’t expect you to be a super hero. Think back in your life. You have had managers that you enjoyed working for and there have been some you have not enjoyed working with. Identify their strengths and weaknesses. Emulate the good and stay away from the bad.
Listening is one secret of being a successful manager/leader. Graban states, “It’s not that other points of view may be necessarily right but just listening can go a long way. Great leaders allow other voices other than their own to be heard.” More listening, less talking!
You need to lead by example. If you want your staff to be professional and team players, show them the way. You need to take time for yourself. If you are over stressed, the people around you can sense this. Be self aware of image you are projecting. If you had a fight with someone at home, bringing that attitude into the workplace is not productive. The staff will think that they did something wrong. You need to relax and recharge.
To lead by example, you need to identify the areas you need to improve on. Keep your mind open to new ideas and new ways of doing things. Once you identify your weaknesses, start working to improve them. Focus on one area at a time and don’t rush the process. Pick up a book that will help you in that area and read it one-hour per day until it is finished. Then practice what you have read.
Management is a skill that can be learned. You can become a better manager by working on it every day. Trust your gut and learn from any mistakes you make. This can only make your business even more successful.
“Reading a book about management isn’t going to make you a good manager any more than a book about guitar will make you a good guitarist, but it can get you thinking about the most important concepts.” – Drew Houston
