Volume 1: Essential Tools for the Successful Manager

Claudine Blackburn Sylvain Tétreault

BETTER MANAGEMENT LESS STRESS 1

ESSENTIAL TOOLS FOR THE SUCCESSFUL MANAGER

Éditions BLACKBURN TÉTREAULT

Better Management

LESS STRESS Become a competent manager

1

ESSENTIAL TOOLS FOR THE SUCCESSFUL 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. Volume1- Gestionnaire, un métier à décourvrir, Éditions Blackburn TÉtreault (2011).

English adaptation by Myles McKelvey and Marc Cournoyer, CHRP

ISBN: 978-2-9810795-6-5 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 2 – Le gestionnaire au quotidien,

a collection GÉREZ MIEUX, STRESSEZ MOINS L Devenez un gestionnaire heureux et compétent, Éditions BLACKBURN TÉTREAULT, 2012 olume 2 – The Everyday Manager, V The series BETTER MANAGEMENT, LESS STRESS Become a competent manager, 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

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 manager: an essential role

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Current context . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 What we can no longer ignore . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 How to deal with this situation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 Managers are not born – they are made. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 Managerial skills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 A revealing story. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 What makes a good manager? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 Basic principles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 First goal: Get rid of annoyances! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 Second goal: Invest in professional development tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 Third goal: Try another approach . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 Fourth goal: Be aware of your managerial role within the organization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 The right manager in the right place . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 Personal journal - chapter 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49

ChapTER 2 development of the management profession

55

Then and now . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57 Development over the decades . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58 1960-1990 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60 1990-2010 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63 2010 and the coming years . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64 Main factors of change. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66 Instability of budgets and profitability of organizations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67 Unfavorable labor market. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68 Laws and regulations governing work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70 Quality of life requirements for a new generation of workers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71 Arrival of workers from various ethnic communities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74 Personal journal - chapter 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79 ChapTER 3 THE MODERN Manager’s challenges

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An observation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87 What’s expected of managers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90 Personal journal- chapter 3. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97

ChapTER 4 four management principles

103

Lean management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105 Four principles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112 1st principle: The need for supervision and the “Rule of Three” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113 2nd principle: Supervise a maximum of 20 employees. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117 3rd principle: Spend 70% of your time on the floor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119 4th principle: Make yourself understood. . . . . . . . . . . . . 122 1. Knowing how to communicate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122 2. Knowing how to deal with a problem. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130 3. Knowing how to discipline. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130

Pre-conditions to making yourself understood. . . . . . . 133

1. Establish a specific framework tailored to the organization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133 2. Determine the expected tolerance level . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134 3. Treat employees equally and consistently. . . . . . . . . . . . . 134 4. Don’t be scared to implement and take disciplinary action. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134 5. Get support from your immediate superiors . . . . . . . . . . 135

Five motivators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135 What’s the pay-off?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139 Winning conditions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140 Personal journal - chapter 4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145

ChapTER 5 a SPecific, rigorous management framework

151

What are we talking about? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153 Management framework . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155 Mission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157 Strategies. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157 Standards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157 Values. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158

Work framework . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159 A disturbing situation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160 The challenge for organizations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162

A model . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164 A challenge for organizations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166 Managing dissatisfaction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168 Personal problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171 Personal journal - chapter 5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175 Conclusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181 authors’ Note. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187 about the authors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189

“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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PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

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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PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

This book belongs to:

Date of first reading:

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Better Management, Less Stress

22

introduction

H

ave you recently been promoted? Did your immediate superior give you new responsibilities? Have you become a business manager or been appointed department manager?

Are you now responsible for the company’s warehouse where you’ve been working for 10 years?

Have you decided to start a business? Do you currently perform these duties and would you like to reduce your stress and enjoy your work more?

Any of these situations and many others make you a manager 1 - 2.

To call yourself a manager, you don’t have to have many responsibilities within an organization; you may simply be responsible for managing human or material resources.

I n this book, the term “manager” is used synonymously with the following terms: team leader, team manager, group supervisor, group manager, foreman, supervisor, coordinator, director, vice-president, president.

2 Definition of “manager”: “A person who manages an organization, business establishment, or public institution, or part of one; a person with a primarily […] supervisory function within an organization.” Oxford English Dictionary.

1

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Better Management, Less Stress

People often fear the term “manager” and shudder at its very mention. Some imagine worst case scenarios – and this may be the reality in many situations.

However, the managerial role is essential within any organization and is one that we should not fear.

Can we view the managerial role from a different perspective? We believe so, and after reading this book, we’re sure you’ll agree. Based on our extensive experience in this field, we have taken a stand and developed a school of thought with our customers and employees, enabling us to assert that it is indeed possible to be a competent manager. Our approach is the result of extensive collaboration and is based on the “hands-on” experience of those who work in this field every day.

The idea of publishing a series of books 3 arose from our desire to share our perspective from this school of thought. We wanted to make our approach accessible to all levels of management, both experienced and new managers, as well as anyone interested in the managerial role. In your hands you’re holding the first book in the Better Management, Less Stress series: Essential Tools for the Successful Manager. Its goal is straightforward, yet ambitious: to 3

For more information, see our website: www.blackburntetreault.com 24

INTRODUCTION

define the managerial role within an organization and provide the appropriate tools to help make you a competent manager.

There’s no shortage of management literature, so why are we publishing this book? Most of the management books available on the market are written by experts who present complex management theories that are intended for high-level managers.

What sets our project apart is that it doesn’t reiterate what has already been written; instead, it aims to fill a gap. Our goal is to reach front-line managers who work in the field every day and who are responsible for teams. These people are often brought in from the outside to positions for which they have no training.

However, within the current economic climate, no private or public organization can afford to play it by ear. In the medium term, this situation will have a negative impact: exhausted managers, unmotivated staff and low productivity.

We have therefore published a series for these managers and we hope it will become the primary management training and development reference for organizations. Using a practical approach and straightforward style, intended for those who are not interested in reading complex management theories, 25

Better Management, Less Stress

these books provide the tools to enable them to become competent managers. Although they are all complementary with each other, each volume within the series may be read as a stand-alone book.

After many years of professional practice as coaches and trainers for various levels of managers, we have come to the conclusion that this is an essential tool. Extensive consultation with our clients (business owners, directors, first-level managers) and management students has been the primary motivation for this project.

If this sounds interesting to you, if you have questions about your managerial role, or if you feel inspired to learn more about this topic, then take the plunge! You’re holding the first book in the series.

Along with the other volumes in this series, we hope the material will encourage you to enhance your reflection and broaden your professional approach.

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Chapter 1

manager: an essential role Current context Managers are not born – they are made What makes a good manager?

The right manager in the right place Personal journal

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A HANDY REFERENCE GUIDE TO BECOME A COMPETENT MANAGER

BETTER MANAGEMENT LESS STRESS Yes, it IS possible !

Claudine Blackburn G. C. Sylvain Tétreault C H R P

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.

ESSENTIAL TOOLS FOR THE SUCCESSFUL MANAGER

In this first volume, you’ll learn about the importance, development, issues and daily challenges of managers. Four management principles are also presented within a management framework that is essential for your organization’s success.

ISBN 978-2-9810795-6-5

www.blackburntetreault.com