INTRODUCTION
‘I have never been lost, but I will admit to being confused for several weeks.’
Daniel Boone
So, you’re a manager. Congratulations! You probably have lots of ideas about how to do things differently – and better. Maybe you’ve already smoothly implemented some of them but have had less success with others. You know you could do more if you knew what to do and how to do it. Although you’ve had plenty of training in the skills that previous jobs have required, no one’s really teaching you how to be a manager.
You’ve had your share of bad managers, and you don’t want to become one of them. Perhaps you’ve been fortunate enough to have had a great manager at some point in your career; someone you’d like to be like now you’re a manager yourself. We hope so, because that’s the kind of manager we’d like you to be.
In today’s business environment, success as a manager means directing and balancing multiple objectives. It’s not enough to know processes; you must also know what motivates and supports the people who make those processes happen. This book offers you some tools to understanding how people function within the workplace and to figuring out how you as a manager can help them grow to be more productive and successful – so you will be, too.
IT’S NOT FOR EVERYONE
Not everyone is cut out to be a manager. Many who are at the top of their professions are among the worst when it comes to managing other people because that’s not where their strengths lie. Only by being truthful with yourself can you know if you are one of these people. And remember, it doesn’t mean that you’re less valuable than those in management; a business needs all of its constituents to succeed.
management: getting things done through others
THE SUPPORT OF YOUR STAFF
Although your job as manager may be new to you, having a manager is not new to the people who report to you. You’re replacing someone else. Employees may be relieved and happy to see you in your new position, or they may be disgruntled and unhappy that the previous manager has gone. Whether you have come up through the ranks, or you are new to the company, there are many lessons to be learned, and fast.
What with balancing the demands of upper management and the needs of your employees, you may begin to feel as if part of your job description reads, ‘Walk on water.’ Don’t worry – it’s fine if your awkward sidestroke is what gets you to shore. It’s okay to have limitations – everyone does. You can’t do everything, and you can’t be everything to everyone – no one can. What matters more is that you know your limits and can compensate for them.
WHEN YOU NEED A HELPING HAND
Those who excel in the skills of their jobs receive promotions to reward them for their abilities. The result is often managers who are not really people-people. They’re skills-people. Are you a great accountant, programmer, sales representative, or production worker who has done so well in your job that you’ve been promoted to a management position? Are you feeling just a little bit uncomfortable with being in authority? Are you getting caught up in your own day-to-day responsibilities, still focused on doing a good job, and failing to recognize that managing means helping everyone else do a good job, too? Could you do with a helping hand?
your promotion is real-life proof that they, too, have a shot at moving up the ladder
it’s not good enough for managers to be skills-people; they must be people-people too
HOW TO USE THIS BOOK
This book is structured so that each of the 60 solutions can be absorbed in just a minute or less. Use it as an active resource when you find that you could do with a little advice. If you are that rare person who is committed to taking proactive steps, you might be inclined to read the book sequentially. To derive its full benefits, however, keep this book nearby and flip through it to quickly find solutions that work for the problem you might be facing.
The 60 solutions are arranged in six themed sections. Part One outlines what a new manager has to deal with in the first few weeks of the job; Part Two covers some of the everyday duties you will need to undertake; Part Three deals with managing communications with your staff; Part Four focuses mainly on the setting of goals and priorities; Part Five looks at ways you can inspire others; and Part Six troubleshoots. Let 60 Second Solutions Management guide you to become the best manager that you can be – one who can be respected, trusted, and maybe even loved by your employees.
not getting on with a manager is one of the most commonly cited reasons for leaving a job