ED U C AT I O N
THE DOS AND DON'TS
M
OF BEING AN EFFECTIVE MANAGER DO
Ma ny of us have ex per ienced
var ying career changes recently. Pe r h a p s y ou’v e s t e p p e d i n t o a ma nagement role for t he f i rst t i me, or a re dea l i ng w it h unprecedented
challenges.
E i t h e r w a y, g r e a t m a n a g e r s a re ke y to compa n ies st r iv i ng for g row t h, espe c ia l l y at t h i s particular moment in time. Howe ver, bei ng a n ef fec t ive manager isn’t always easy.
LEAD BY EX AMPLE. This is perhaps the Golden Rule of management:
Do as you want your employees to do. If you give a 10-minute speech on why it’s key to show up to meetings on time, then arrive late to the next meeting, your team w ill almost assuredly interpret that to mean show ing up on time isn’t actually that important. GET IN THERE. Managers aren’t “above” any thing. Even the highest level of executives at Disney w ill pick up trash when they’re walk ing through Disney World, show ing t hat it’s not a task for “underlings,” but rat her a goal of cleanliness ever yone is work ing toward together. Any opportunit y you can take to work alongside your team w ill build trust and help them appreciate the importance of their work. SET GOALS . This is perhaps your primar y job as a manager, but it’s
Effective management isn’t just
important to remember that goals are different from tasks. Don’t just give
about being a fearless leader or
your team something to do—talk w ith them about what they want long-
ruling w ith an iron fist. It means
term and how they can improve in meaningful, achievable ways.
work i ng w it h you r employe e s a nd coworkers so t he y ca n be
HAVE THE DIFFICULT CONVERSATIONS. When a member of your team
the best they can be. Ineffective
is struggling, it’s time to step in. Hopefully they’re wide open to constructive
m a n a g e m e nt le a d s t o t h i n g s
criticism, but even if they’re defensive at first, they’ll take your words to
falling through the cracks, rising
heart—as long as you approach with understanding. Broach struggles from
tensions, and high turnover.
the mindset of: What are this employee’s strengths and how can they be used
So let’s take a look at some of
to correct things? Then, what are the triggers that activate those strengths?
the big dos and don’ts of being an effective manager.
RECOGNIZE STRENGTHS . It’s not just Gen Z a nd Mi l lennia ls—for a vast majorit y of workers, t he most powerf u l t rigger and mot ivator is recog n it ion a nd a f f i r mat ion. Posit ive rei n forcement, when r ig ht f u l ly earned, trumps all.
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GROUPS TODAY Jan u ar y/ February 2 02 3