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Be Yourself as a Manager – No-one Else

There’s a way of sensing when a manager is ‘putting it on’. It’s a sense many, if not all employees have, to some extent or the other – and they will quickly sniff you out…

It’s very tempting as you manage a team new to you. They expect great things of you, the ‘new broom’ manager coming in to shake things up a bit and make the difference.

It’s a clean slate for you too, as you move into this new management role. A new team of people to work with. Maybe even a new organization too.

Those old experiences where you could have been so much better are behind you. Maybe these new employees won’t know the old you. That one who might have done the job even better.

So you try to be something different from before. Perhaps it goes beyond the learning you’ve had from the past, where things didn’t always go quite to plan.

You are free of those times where you got caught out – more likely got caught short – in your management. So you can start again here – and be different.

When you learnt those lessons, perhaps even some of them were made public – in addition to those where you yourself knew that you could have been better, you could have wished them away. But, if there was anything about you, you didn’t because you learned about yourself. Learned how to ‘do differently’ (otherwise known as ‘better’) next time.

So now you have the big chance to be different and you want to try it on. Thing is, that sixth sense of your people. They can tell when a manager isn’t being authentic. They just can. Employees have suffered generations of managers and so they know when you are simply not being the true you.

And you know, they want the true you, because that’s where they are able to get to know you – understand you and, above all, respond to you and the way you do things.

If you try to be someone you aren’t, it will be clear. And in addition to seeing through you playing a part, they will come to resent you for actually trying to be someone you aren’t. They will feel besmirched that you weren’t trusting with them from the start by showing them the true you – the inner you.

Your authentic self as leader will be the easiest and most effective way to be your best and you really will be respected for it.

And as you lead from the heart, the model you set will be followed by your people. They will be authentic with you as well.

Change is the Name of the Game

Change management can often be seen as delivering discrete activities towards a defined outcome. A series of changes in any organization requires a plan of action for delivery, which once complete, means we can get back to the day job.

Yet that’s just the time to think of change again.

The principle of change is one that can mean concern and worry for anyone. However grounded, confident and flexible we are, the thought of change – especially where it’s imposed on us – can be daunting.

Because of the inadequate manner in which change has so often been imposed, many employees see change management as one of those activities managers and leaders get involved in that can only bring distress and pain.

Good managers know that the clichéd ‘change is a constant’ is the best attitude and that there are ways to embody the spirit of change in a positive and developmental way. Thus changing the perception of change almost entirely for their fortunate people. The way it can be.

By taking active steps to deliver change management initially on just one single occasion to be inclusive, flexible and open, whilst retaining the outcome goal required, managers can change the reality of change to be a fun, engaging and empowering activity for their people.

So, once a manager has become much better at managing change and their people come to trust them and where they are going, a whole new opportunity comes along.

You see employees like best to be challenged in their work. They like to learn new stuff; they enjoy being stretched; they love to take new risks. Indeed they want to come to their work to enjoy their day and be fulfilled in what they do.

This does not come from delivering exactly the same stuff each day. The sausage-machine mentality doesn’t work well for most employees.

A manager good at helping change become a fun and exciting activity, where risk is minimized and the edginess of fear removed, can bring the two together.

Engaging a team in seeking change that will make a difference makes for exciting workplace. It makes individuals work much more effectively and enables outcomes to be extraordinary.

Where the status quo is the safer option, these amazing teams will actively hunt out change opportunities to create even better results than before well, just because it’s a fun and creative thing to do.

‘What can we change for the better?’, will become their mantra, every day in every way.

By leveraging the energy that change can precipitate when change management is delivered in a good way, a manager will be able to radically magnify the performance of any team.

Not only will results be exceptional and out of the box, but their people will be engaged and love to stay, contribute and do even more of this stuff. And as manager who is captaining this ship, what a testament to their capabilities too.

© Martin Haworth 2011. This is an expanded version of just one of many change management ideas, from Resilience in Change. For your free – downloadable today – ‘Managing Change’ Super-Simple Success Tips e-book, visit http://www.ResilienceInChange.com

Living with Change and Facing It with Acceptance

In today’s economy, recession is pretty much the name of the game in many organizations. In such difficult times, it’s inevitable change will come. And whatever business you’re in, people are going to be affected…

In a lot of organizations these days, financial challenges will mean it’s time to cut costs. And because of the vast number of workers getting laid off by their respective companies, money will be tight, meaning people will find it hard to afford all their consumer needs, in all but the most basic essentials.

Of course this begins the vicious financial cycle, where less spending often causes businesses to struggle, bankrupcies multiply and businesses are forced to shut down. Which in turn causes even more unemployment.

The income versus spending cycle, with the frequent hardships for so many people, makes it hard to find much comfort for anyone. So instead of letting those negative feelings fester, it’s time to appreciate how to live with change and learn some ways to face it with acceptance – even confidence and excitement!

With recession the main problem – at least in the short term – one option is to see beyond the present and consider the bigger picture – the real opportunities that change can present, even if right now, things are looking tough.

Many people get into roles they are not fully aligned with, partly because they received poor guidance at an early age; partly becuase they chose wrongly for themselves and partly because roles evolve in different directions to what they anticipated.

So, here’s the thing. A great first step to be able to accept the changing workplace environment is to let go of comfort zones. Living with change is especially hard after the stable and dynamic business environments of the past ten years. So when it’s time to move forward into the unknown, it’s very understandable to feel some apprehension.

Instead of dwelling on the downsides, it might be best to accept the fact that it’s time to move on, with the option to return to those comfort zones at a later time – if that’s really essential! For now, how about taking that progressive step to really engage with and accept that the time for change is now.

Next, since living with change, for this discussion, may mean changing direction, it would be really smart to research will help to acknowledge and then welcome new opportunities with a more open disposition.

By releasing preconceived notions that are held already about the most appropriate career, will enable personal growth, enjoyment and – because people perform best when they are being authentic – success too.

Finally, it’s vital to manage perspectives and be optimistic. Yes, accepting and even being pro-active with change is can be a frightening thing, being positive about it is a major asset to adjusting and getting comfortable again.

Living with change and facing it with acceptance may be hard at first, but with the tips mentioned above, it shouldn’t be that difficult in the long run. It might even be fun!

Delegation – To Whom? When?

In a recent interview, Ron Dennis of the McLaren Formula 1 team said,

“I’m the executive chairman, but if I delegate a role, I’ll step away & let that person get on with it”.

When we lead and manage teams, we cannot stand alone and do it all by ourselves on our own. Our role is to get the best from the many…

Delegation is all about clearing our own desks of the ‘stuff’ that comes at us and giving the tasks to others. We do this for a number of vital reasons:-

1. We delegate to others strengths

Low confidence is one of the biggest challenges that organizations face. Helping others to see their greatnesses is a big step on the way.

So we give them work they are good at, love to do and can deliver perhaps even better than we can ourselves.

‘Catching others doing things right’, is a great mantra for any manager or leader.

2. We delegate to others weaknesses

Now, where this works it’s a great solution on all sides. When we show confidence in others to develop their weaker skills – as long as we hold their hand on the way – it builds capability and also team capacity.

Care is needed that we acknowledge exactly where these are not weaknesses just because they haven’t had the time to develop – they simply are a weakness.

And we don’t push something that will only reduce confidence and a sense of failure.

3. We delegate our own weaknesses

Why struggle with talents we don’t have? Where we know that we simply aren’t good at some things why keep trying?

Great leaders give their own areas of absolute weakness or ineffectiveness to others who are not only more capable, but also will benefit from showing their capability too.

4. We delegate our own strengths

Of course there are some elements of work where our role requires our personal skills and usually leaders are recruited because they are good at it.

Where succession planning, employee development and motivation would find it valuable, delegation of areas where a leader is very skilled is a worthwhile activity.

It also helps leaders from staying within their own comfort zone too – just doing what they are good at – which can be synonymous with what they ‘like’ to do.

5. We delegate to develop people

We might pick out specific activities that we usually deliver ourselves and pro-actively choose people who would benefit from having these delegated to.

This is part of structured development planning where the delegation is a focused ‘gift’ from the leader to the individual.

6. We delegate for efficiency

As highly paid leaders, we can, of course, choose what we do. Because of this, we need to be fully focused to ensure our organization gets full value from the higher reward the role gives to us individually.

In effect, we delegate everything we possibly can where – very honestly – we decide whether an activity can be delegated with no loss of performance in the organization – sometimes in the longer- rather than the shorter-term.

We can then get on with our own job description and let others get to theirs.

A couple of key points on delegation

As Ron Dennis said this week in the article in the Mail On Sunday Live magazine, delegate and leave them alone to get on with it. There is a rider to this. Be there, at least at first where they might need support.

Delegation is not about closing the door and letting them struggle.

Great leaders keep a watchful, supportive and distant eye on those to whom they have delegated.

How far can you go with delegation? Well, probably much further than you think.

Dealing with Business Changes

Change is all around. It is something that no-one can avoid, especially for those in the corporate world, because business change is always looming around the corner.

Whether it’s your most awaited promotion, being a part of a new team or being sent to work for a branch of your company in another location, it is truly certain that the only thing constant in anyone’s life is change.

So how do you deal with business change and the feelings that accompany it? Do you sulk in a corner and complain about how unfair life is? Or do you stand with your chin up and face it head on?

If your answer is the former, here are a few tips to help make your answer the latter instead.

Given the experience of change people often have, it’s quite understandable for many to feel uncomfortable simply hearing the word ‘change’. However, instead of tending to looking at the negative side of things, it can be much more productive to look for positives instead.

By doing this, changes ahead can be much less daunting and instead of trying to resist, embracing it with open arms can be of great value indeed. Once people know that change is going to happen anyway, it’s not worth wasting time and effort evading it.

The sooner most individuals get familiar with the said change, the sooner they’ll find the exciting new possibilities that come with it.

Even more important, is that whenever business change happens, no-one is ever alone in handling it. Building a support system for one another will strengthen bonds and make professional relationships work in a more collaborative way.

Lastly, be patient when change happens. Yes, it may take quite a while to get used to the new challenges, but over time, yesterdays change becomes today’s norm. So, by taking control and avoiding the seemingly endless and uncertain period take its toll, everyone will gradually be able to adjust and move forward.

When there is little control, business change is feared by many because of the feelings that they encounter when faced with it. Yet, with enough preparation and proper knowledge, all these worries can be found unnecessary.

Following the tips and ideas above can make business change much more interesting – and much more successful too.

Change Management – Easy Tactics For Managers

Change has become a source of fear in many people, especially for those in the business sector. It is looked upon as something that signals the coming of difficult times.

If members of the workforce would just view the change without bias, it can be proven to be far from what its reputation stands for.

You see, change is not something to be afraid of, but instead it is something to look forward to, because of the opportunities and adventure it so often provides.

And since change will always happen – no matter what – it is much better to be skilled in taking control of these types of situations, whether you are leading change or a part of those on the receiving end.

For any organization, those with change management skills are vital to bring forth, because managing change is a relatively simple capability that many people may already have within themselves. If not, they can easily be developed through time and a little practice.

The first – and probably most important – change management skill, is being able to connect well with other people. Communication is the key to building trust within teams and the individuals in them, which in turn leads to them treating each other with respect and care.

This makes it easy for everyone involved to cooperate in discovering the best way forward during changing times and situations.

Next, those leading change must also have a clear cut idea of where things are going to go. This enables them to easily discuss and collaborate with others in planning on facing these adjustments as well as seeking their valuable inputs, which in turn develops commitment and inclusion.

Another important change management skill is consistency. With this, everything else done in relation to the change that is happening is executed with fairness and equality in mind. Helping those involved have a framework within which the change will take place and reduces the sense of simply not knowing what’s going on.

Along with consistency comes planning wisely. By doing so, you and your colleagues will be able to prepare for whatever will come your way. By considering (almost!) every possibility and planning every step – usually to agreed timescales – progress will be predictable and you’ll be ready for any surprises.

Last, but not the least in change management, leaders – and their teams too – must always have self-discipline and persistence. With the former, scheduled changes will surely be followed on the dot and through to achieve the outcomes required.

While with the latter, it can be certain that whatever has been decided will push through, no matter the hardships that come along with it. This will add value at the end of the day, which is the whole point of change.

Change and, for leaders, change management, really aren’t anything to be feared, because it is better to be skilled in taking control when change comes along. So instead of running away when you hear about change, get prepared to get going.

It’s the best way to make constructive progress where everyone involved is part of a win-win solution.