Volume 2: The Everyday Manager

Claudine Blackburn Sylvain Tétreault

BETTER MANAGEMENT LESS STRESS 2

THE EVERYDAY MANAGER

Éditions BLACKBURN TÉTREAULT

BETTER MANAGEMENT

LESS STRESS Become a competent manager

2

THE EVERYDAY MANAGER

Éditions BLACKBURN TÉTREAULT 13, De l'Alcazar Street, Blainville Quebec, Canada J7B 1R3 450-971-4931 1-877-971-4931 editions@blackburntetreault.com Distribution and orders: www.blackburntetreault.com This book was originally published in Canada as: GÉREZ MIEUX, STRESSEZ MOINS – Devenez un gestionnaire heureux et compétent. Volume 2 - Le gestionnaire au quotidien, Éditions Blackburn TÉtreault (2012).

English adaptation by Myles McKelvey and Marc Cournoyer, CHRP

ISBN: 978-2-9810795-7-2 Legal deposit 2012: Bibliothèque nationale du Québec National Library of Canada All rights reserved Reproduction in whole or in part by any process (graphic, electronic, mechanical or digital) is strictly forbidden without prior written consent from the publisher.

Printed in Canada This book did not receive any grants for its publication.

BY THE SAME AUTHORS Other publications: I nitiation pratique à la gestion des ressources humaines Éditions BLACKBURN TÉTREAULT, 4 th edition, 2012 olume 1 – Gestionnaire, un métier à découvrir, V La collection GÉREZ MIEUX, STRESSEZ MOINS Devenez un gestionnaire heureux et compétent Éditions BLACKBURN TÉTREAULT, 2011

Volume 1 – Essential Tools for the Successful Manager,

The series BETTER MANAGEMENT, LESS STRESS Become a competent manager Éditions BLACKBURN TÉTREAULT, 2012

Volume 2 – Le gestionnaire au quotidien,

a collection GÉREZ MIEUX, STRESSEZ MOINS L Devenez un gestionnaire heureux et compétent, Éditions BLACKBURN TÉTREAULT, 2012

acknowledgements

P

eople often have more influence on our lives than we can imagine.

We would like to sincerely thank the people who have shown us their trust and offered their friendship throughout our careers and lives.

The fulfillment of this wonderful project would never have been possible without the contribution and encouragement of those whom we have met in our personal and professional lives: Our parents, family members and loyal friends The management, staff and students of École de technologie supérieure in Montreal, Canada Clients and colleagues of our consulting firm and book series All the managers whom we have coached and advised over the years and The management and team of several employers’ associations in Quebec, Canada A special thank you to Olivier Mongrain for his significant contribution to the editing of this volume

To Audrey and Pénélope, our cherished daughters – whom we wish a life filled with happiness, health and prosperity – for their support and encouragement.

table of contents

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 ChapTER 1 Being a role model while earning trust and respect

29

Why should I be a role model at work?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 Imposing versus influencing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 Being an inspiring role model. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 “Oil and water don’t mix” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 How can I accomplish this? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 1. Demonstrate intrinsic people skills. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 2. Demonstrate professional rigor. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49 3. Communicate effectively . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52 Personal journal - chapter 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55

ChapTER 2 Engaging your staff

61

Engagement versus motivation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64 What are engaged employees? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67 Engaging employees to ensure a winning team . . . . . . . . . . 70 1. Motivating your staff . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73 2. Always meeting your commitments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75 3. Conveying the right information in the right way (communicating) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77 4. Evaluating appropriately. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79 5. Recognizing excellence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82 6. Winning the support of others: employees and management colleagues. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84 Personal journal - chapter 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89

ChapTER 3 Properly supervising your staff

95

Manager’s roles and responsibilities. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98 Implementing conditions for proper supervision. . . . . . . . 102 Essential supervision tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113 1. Memory. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114 2. Verbal and non-verbal language . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116 3. Presence. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118 4. Attitude. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119

Types of power and operational influence. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122 1. Coercive power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123 2. Reward power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123 3. Authority . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124 4. Expert power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124 5. Information power. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124 6. Affiliation power. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124 7. Referent power. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125 Manager’s constraints

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128

Personal journal- chapter 3. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133

ChapTER 4 Solving operational problems at the source

139

Identifying operational problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142 Diagnose and effectively deal with problems. . . . . . . . . . . . 145 Organizational performance and efficiency. . . . . . . . . . . . . 154 Personal journal - chapter 4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161

ChapTER 5 Improving operational efficiency by promoting progress and innovation

167

Why should we make improvements?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169 Resistance to change and desire to improve. . . . . . . . . . . . . 175 How to implement the conditions for improving operational efficiency:. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179 1. A transparent communications strategy. . . . . . . . . . . . . 182 2. A desire for continuous improvement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187 3. A true organizational culture. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192 Continuous improvement tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 199 Personal journal - chapter 5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205 Conclusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 211 authors’ Note. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 217 Professional Profile of the Authors. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 219

“The people, who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are ones who do.�

Steve Jobs

Think Different, Apple Computer, 1997

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT As a complementary tool for your training and development process

A

one-of-a-kind new five-volume series that will help you become a competent manager.

Theme of each volume in the series: Volume 1: Essential Tools for the Successful Manager Volume 2: The Everyday Manager Volume 3: Senior Executives and Their Team of Managers Volume 4: Managing Time, Priorities and Human Resources Volume 5: Personality Types In that case, how are our books different?

Our books are not academic or pedagogical works on the topic and they do not indulge in pop psychology or propose theoretical formulas.

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Better Management, Less Stress

By design: ÆÆ They

are intended for all levels of current and future managers in all sectors, cultures and countries.

ÆÆ Unlike

other management schools of thought, they offer a specific, original perspective about management, as they are based on many years of professional experience in various organizations.

ÆÆ They

reflect on the profession and provide a practical approach for practicing it under the best possible conditions.

ÆÆ They

are written in a clear, understandable style, suitable for anyone who is interested in reading a straightforward book.

ÆÆ They

do not replace the training process needed for professional development; rather, they provide essential, complementary management knowledge.

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PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

How to make the best use of each volume?

Consistent with the idea that our books are genuine personal development and training tools, we have included a Personal Journal at the end of each chapter.

This is a practical way to help you realize how each volume is much more than just a book – it’s one of your essential professional development tools.

The purpose of the Personal Journal is to encourage you to: Write down your thoughts about what you have read; Note ideas that may apply to your field of expertise; Keep track of your ongoing progress on your know-how and people skills; Behave and respond appropriately in your daily practice.

Each volume within this series is not only a reference work on the management profession but also a personal, customized tool to which you can continually refer to assess and analyze your professional development. So you can re-read one or several sections of a volume, or an entire volume, whenever the need arises, either to check certain topics or to learn more about them.

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Better Management, Less Stress

To make the best use of the material, we have designed a personalized tool for this volume, which will help you master the concepts and topics step by step. You may consult it by visiting the Publications page on the website www.blackburntetreault.com, under the heading links with references presented in the volumes. Simply complete it and set your management goals.

We hope this book has helped you to see the management profession from a different perspective.

We would appreciate receiving your comments, critiques or suggestions at the following email address: editions@blackburntetreault.com

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This book belongs to:

Date of first reading:

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Better Management, Less Stress

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introduction

I

n t he f i r s t v olu me of t he BE T T E R MANAGEMENT, LESS STRESS series, Essential Tools for the Successful Manager, we emphasized the importance of the managerial role to ensure the proper functioning and success of organizations. To clearly explain this concept, we highlighted various aspects that private and public organizations have to deal with. In particular, the global economic turmoil and complex market issues are increasingly exerting an inf luence on their operation.

Today, when it comes to their management model, no private or public organization can afford to just “wing it” by relying on the goodwill of their staff and managers. Not only is a genuine management framework1 necessary, but, above all, managers must ensure that it is effectively implemented and closely monitored. To remain competitive and meet high 1

or more on this topic, refer to Chapter 5 of BETTER MANAGEMENT, LESS F STRESS Volume 1: Essential Tools for the Successful Manager, Éditions BLACKBURN TÉTREAULT, Montreal, Canada, 2011.

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Better Management, Less Stress

performance and efficiency standards, organizations have no choice but to deal with new challenges and adopt new management approaches. Whether it’s a public organization that must meet a balanced budget or a private organization that must remain profitable, there is one essential requirement: adapt in order to improve.

In this context, adapting means being able to recognize and assess the factors that influence an organization’s positive and negative results. These factors may also be affected by external causes: favorable or unfavorable economic and social conditions. In such cases, it’s difficult to directly address these causes.

However, when it comes to internal, organizationspecific causes, it’s always possible to respond and take action whenever necessary by changing and improving operational performance and efficiency.

As is strikingly evident from the turmoil in recent decades, the work world and the labor market are constantly changing. That’s why it’s essential to clearly understand and accept that the managerial role has changed over the years. Managers therefore can no longer view their actions in the same way as in the past. Within the present-day turbulent and constantly changing economic environment, this becomes all the 24

INTRODUCTION

more important. Everyone knows that the current market conditions are extremely volatile and highly unpredictable and that this situation will likely continue in the years to come. It’s therefore essential for managers to focus on aspects that are profitable for the organization.

Increasingly higher and more demanding performance and efficiency requirements impose an inescapable reality: do more with less. This situation affects both staff and managers, who must deal with an increasing number of pressures: make operations more efficient increase the quality of products and services improve customer service improve the work environment improve occupational health and safety conditions These are some of the aspects that underscore the importance of the managerial role. Much more than simply someone who assigns tasks and gives orders, managers must be professionals who are aware of their role’s requirements and who are well-prepared to properly handle complex situations that they must inevitably face.

In the previous volume, we emphasized what we call the Four Management Principles. More than ever, to 25

Better Management, Less Stress

ensure that organizations achieve high performance and efficiency standards, it’s essential to refer to these principles, which can be summarized as follows: 80% of individuals (employees and managers) need continuous and sufficient supervision Managers should have a maximum of 20 employees to supervise Managers should spend about 70%-75% of their time on the “floor” Managers should make themselves understood, communicate clearly, deal with problems and take disciplinary action whenever necessary Beyond these principles, managers who would like to conscientiously fulfill their duties and acquire essential skills will realize the need for training.

The volume that you have in your hands specifically addresses this need. To achieve the objectives that will make you a competent manager, you need to thoroughly understand and consistently apply the following organizational skills and strategies: supervising, implementing, solving and improving.

Throughout this volume, we will describe in detail how to achieve the required conditions, which may be summarized as follows: 26

INTRODUCTION

1. Being a role model while earning trust and respect 2. Engaging your staff 3. Properly supervising your staff 4. Solving operational problems at the source 5. Improving operational efficiency by promoting progress and innovation

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Better Management, Less Stress

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CHAPTER 1

BEING A ROLE MODEL WHILE EARNING TRUST AND RESPECT Why should I be a role model at work?

Imposing versus influencing Being an inspiring role model “Oil and water don’t mix” How can I accomplish this?

Personal Journal 29

A HANDY REFERENCE GUIDE TO BECOME A COMPETENT MANAGER

BETTER MANAGEMENT LESS STRESS Yes, it IS possible !

Claudine Blackburn c.o.

Sylvain Tétreault C R H A

Because managing has nothing to do with luck ; Because you just can’t “wing” it ; Because management cannot be boiled down to a simple theory ; Because management is an art that is learned ; Because, above all, you are the maker of your success.

Become a competent manager by reading this one-of-a-kind series, which is accessible and tailored to your situation.

The manager’s role is crucial in your organization. This series will guide you and help you develop your full potential.

THE EVERYDAY MANAGER

In this second volume, you will learn how managers have to deal with their roles and responsibilities by leading by example as a role model while earning trust and respect.

Their daily roles and responsibilities will be clearly and straightforwardly presented, focusing their actions on engaging and properly supervising staff, while resolving the root problems and improving the operational efficiency of their team and organization.

ISBN 978-2-9810795-6-5

www.blackburntetreault.com