The Seven Elements Of Successful Management

By using a step-by-step process you can management more effectively and efficiently

 

By Dan Goldberg

 

Too often managers are left floating in a sea of problems, unclear procedures, unruly schedules and unorganized teams.

 

Years ago I realized how important it was to have a system in place that could act as a guide for myself as well as managers who worked for me. Over the years I have used this system, which I have put into a program called The Seven Elements Of Successful Management, to train and coach managers and supervisors in all sorts of industries.

 

The steps are simple, their implementation a bit more complex, yet leaving any of them out can lead to less than satisfactory results as you navigate through the management maze. The program was designed to help you reduce risk, uncertainty and problems, while communicating better and managing more effectively and efficiently.

 

From learning your and your team members’ ABC’s, to understanding procedures for effective scheduling, from building efficient teams to setting goals and solving problems, The Seven Elements Of Successful Management helps guide your through the rigors and joys of management. The following is a general overview of the program:

 

The Seven Elements Of Successful Management are:

 

 

Communication:

 

You can’t manage unless you know how to communicate!

How often have you said to yourself or others,

“If he’d/she’d have just told me what to do instead of talking around it I would have done it!”

Or “Why didn’t they just say so?”

Of course the other scenario could be…

“I told him/her what to do, I don’t understand why it wasn’t done!”

There are so many variations on this theme that we could go on forever.

A major reason why we have so many problems in business and life is simple miscommunication.

 

Being direct is a relative term.

Until you understand why, how and what people do when communicating you’ll always be hampered in your interactions as a manager.

 

In my book, “The Six Steps To Solid Sales Success” I spend quite a bit of time discussing peoples’ attitudes, behaviors and communication skills.

 

These ABC’s of communication translate into the management world as well.

 

You must understand your own ABC’s and the ABC’s of others before you can truly become an effective manager.

 

There’s no magic here. Think about how you like to be spoken to and that will begin to illustrate what communication is all about.

 

Now it’s important to realize, as a manager, that the way you relate to people can either make your job a heck of a lot easier or make it hell (for both you and the folks you work with).

 

It’s also important to understand that as a leader it’s up to you to take the initiative and lead by example.

 

Wanting your people to “communicate properly” without “showing them the way” is like telling someone to meet you for lunch and not telling them where.

 

It’s how you interact with your team members that helps give you the edge in effectively communicating your ideas, motivating your people and ultimately getting things done.

 

To summarize:

 

There are three very important ingredients all management professionals should understand in communicating. These three points always help in the process of interacting successfully with team members and are relevant not only to our teams but to ourselves and others in business and life.

 

·        Types of Attitudes

·        Types of Behaviors

·        Types of Communication styles

 

These are the ABC’s of effective managers!

Once you have a clear picture of who you are it will make it much easier to understand and manage others.

 

Controlling Growth:

 

In order to control growth every organization needs a clear vision of where it wants to be and an understanding of what it will take to get there.

 

That vision and understanding of mission should be communicated in the form of a written mission statement.

 

One of the problems we have, as a society, is that once we jump on a bandwagon we lose the substance of what we set out to do. This holds especially true for “Mission Statements”.

 

Most organizations have mission statements boldly displayed for the entire world to see. They have made a marketing piece for their customers. And almost every organization has basically the same one.

 

What we are addressing here is something more substantial. It may indeed, eventually, be put on display but it must first be fully understood by all the members within the organization.

 

A clear mission statement gives direction to everyone within the organization. It should be developed by a team whenever possible and be to the point. It should contain certain ingredients that will be easily understood.

 

1.      Why was the organization formed?

 

2.      What are its goals and objectives?

 

3.      How does it see itself achieving those goals and objective?

 

4.      When will its dreams begin and continue to blossom?

 

5.      Who will help it grow?

 

These types of “Mission Statements” help everyone understand certain tenets that the organization has in place and what the general overview of its philosophy, growth, and personality are.

 

Setting Goals & Solving Problems:

 

These are two different ways of “Getting Where You Want To Go”

 

We all have different ways of looking at and dealing with the way we view the world.

Some of us are better at seeing a broader picture while others hone in on the details.

These two traits can work well in reaching objectives.

Maximizing each individual’s outlook can make for a great team approach.

 

I define goal setting as adding a broader scope (either horizontally or vertically) to an already existing entity. While problem solving is a way to overcome certain barriers in order to achieve a desired result.

 

It would be the rare goal that didn’t have problems to be solved in order to reach the desired end.

 

It is important to understand that forcing a goal setter to solve problems or making a problem solver set goals may turn out to be counter productive to the organization.

 

That does not mean that either group should be completely devoid of both responsibilities. It just means that when it comes to creating certain tasks over the long haul these should be undertaken by the appropriate individuals.

 

It’s easy to see how using this insight enables people to become more self-motivated.

 

Rather than being bogged down in non-productive areas the individual or team member can concentrate on what they do best.

 

Setting goals and solving the problems that go with them can make for a dynamic combination.

 

While the differences between goal setters and problem solvers are evident it is also clear that by stating situations in an easily understandable manner to both groups it can be much easier to reach objectives.

 

For Example:

 

A goal setter would love to hear, “We want to expand our production this year”. “How do you think we can reach that goal?”

 

The same objective should be presented to the problem solver this way, “What problems do we have to overcome in order to reach our objective of increased production this year?”

 

The responses will bring you the big picture from the goal setters and the details from the problem solvers. Both are needed in order to get a clear view and direction.

 

Once you have established the goals and problems to be overcome in reaching your organizations goals you most now be very succinct in spelling out the process and authorities your team members will have in accomplishing your objectives.

 

This includes:

 

 

There is nothing worse than building expectations only to have roadblocks thrown up. Be realistic. And understand your team.

 

Time/Schedule Management:

 

Or “How to do what you have to do”.

 

Time is the mechanism that measures the passing of our lives.

It will keep going no matter what we do.

How we manage our schedules within time’s framework is an indication of our ability to reach our objective in an organized and regular manner.

 

It is really a misnomer to use the term time management.

We can’t manage time but only our schedules within it.

 

By controlling our schedules and thus the events in it we get a better control of our lives.

We become more effective and efficient in dealing with the short and long term situations that drive our lives.

 

From a business perspective, an effective and efficient manager knows that schedule management enables him or her to prioritize activities. To truly organize your schedule you must learn how to eliminate or relegate unimportant or less important activities. Once you have a clear understanding of priorities you begin to make room for more profitable and directed activities.

 

Some tips to manage your time include:

 

·        Go through your correspondence at least once a day and get rid of the needless clutter.

·        Set up bins marked Urgent, Important and Routine and use them for your correspondence

·        Get and keep a Day Timer or Day Runner or Palm Pilot or whatever and notate your schedule in them consistently. And never use more than one, It leads to confusion.

·        Set daily priorities. Take fifteen minutes at the beginning and the end of the day to review and list them. I put a list of my important priorities on my computer keyboard and my urgent priorities on my telephone keypad.

·        Learn how to say NO. This will save you unbelievable amounts of time.

·        Analyze your schedule so that you can have a full understanding of your productive and non-productive time. And then begin to stop scheduling non-productive situations.

·        Make sure that all your meetings are productive and that they end in some decision. There’s nothing worse than meetings that leave you scratching your head wondering why they were called in the first place. Be careful that efficiency doesn’t ride herd over effectiveness.

·        Stop taking on all your staff’s problems. That’s the easiest way to turn you into a high priced baby sitter. And makes you do your job and theirs’.

·        Plan out all projects. Include timelines, personnel, responsibilities, etc.

 

Team Building:

 

If you want To Excel Ally Many

The word ally is defined in the dictionary as: To unite or associate for a specific purpose.

 

An important insight of a growing business is the ability to harvest and unite the resources of its people into teams in order to maintain and expedite growth in a planned environment.

 

For this reason building teams by allying the knowledgeable people within the business serves many positive functions.

 

For a team to work efficiently and effectively the individuals on the team must possess complimentary skills as well as an understanding of their limitations, strengths and where their abilities overlap with other team members.

 

Egos must be checked at the door if teams are to work properly.

 

Teams are formed to:

 

·        Utilize different strengths, views, skills and expertise.

·        Perform specific needs or deal with certain issues.

·        Overcome certain challenges better than individuals acting in a looser manner.

·        Promote interaction, trust and learning amongst members.

 

The team leader is like a parent. His or her job is to keep ideas, knowledge, understanding flowing. They have to know how to resolve obstacles and share power.

 

Team leaders must be:

 

·        Trusting.

·        Able to delegate.

·        Able to create cohesiveness.

·        Able to set goals, objectives and plans in place.

·        Be able to give and receive feedback.

·        Keep the team focused and moving ahead.

·        Pick the right team members for the projects at hand.

·        Motivate.

·        Monitor progress.

 

Delegation:

 

If you can’t delegate, you’ll never grow. That’s a fact, not a theory!

 

The ability to know how, when and to whom to delegate is a gift that can be learned.

 

The leader who thinks that they must oversee every aspect of business or personally handle every problem will always be caught in the frustration of working in their business not on it.

 

If you want to increase your business, expand locations, increase markets, it is impossible to do it alone or by micro managing.

 

Don’t be afraid of your people making mistakes, everyone does. You did!

 

Delegation not only enables your business to grow it enables your people to grow as well.

 

Delegation breeds leadership, planning, management and organizational skills in you and your team members. It vastly improves employee moral and motivation and shows trust, confidence and an understanding of individual growth needs.

 

Delegation makes decision making easier since it enables team members who are closer to the situation to give valuable input and participate in the conclusion process. It also improves loyalty and cohesiveness. When people feel that they can interact and give and receive feedback they are less likely to be involved in conflicts. They feel empowered to perform, part of an organization and loyal to a entity that listens and reacts to their input. In addition delegation frees up team leaders to raise up the ladder of success.

 

When delegating:

 

·        As a leader you should know the strengths and weaknesses of your personnel.

·        Only delegate to those people who are best equipped to handle the job.

·        Delegate with the end in mind.

·        Don’t delegate by friendship, nepotism, seniority, etc. otherwise you may be delegating to the wrong person.

·        Set guidelines of authority, deadlines, budgets, consequences, etc.

·        Lay out an action plan.

·        Be there for advice, mentoring and training.

·        Let them function on their own.

·        Encourage feedback.

 

Make sure that you relay the fact that this is a growth opportunity. Reinforce and build their confidence and self-respect. Don’t criticize. When you encounter differences of opinion handle them in a nurturing manner. Also realize that you may be wrong.

 

Motivation:

 

Is the key to long-term success!

 

Why is it that some people get up in the morning needing no more than the air they breath to feel ready and willing to tackle the world?

 

Excited by the adventures that await them they are instantly, ok maybe after a cup of coffee, able to get motivated. They can’t wait to start their daily trek to success.

 

Then there are others who have to force themselves to get up every morning.

They could care less about their “job”, the people at “work” or the tasks at hand. Or if they do care its usually from a negative perspective.

 

Yet both of these groups of individuals want the same things in life, Success! Contentment, money, love, happiness, and a feeling of self-determination.

 

What makes one group so different from the other? And why are some people floating in the middle?

 

A systematic approach to motivation gives us a process that can strip away much of the overriding personal views and enable us to have a step-by-step method to keep the fuel burning.

 

In order to motivate in a step-by-step manner you must make sure you have all the correct ingredients.

 

·        Understand the goal you want your team or team member to complete.

·        Look at your team realistically.

·        Have a full understanding of their behavior types.

·        Choose the correct individual for the task(s).

·        Make sure they have the proper insights and training to start, maintain and successfully complete the required goal.

·        Monitor the person’s (people’s) expected behavior.

·        Intervene and coach when necessary

·        Reinforce positive performance with recognition and rewards.

·        In a nurturing manner make sure everyone knows the negative consequences of poor performance.

·        When you are comfortable with performance turn the reigns over to the individual.

·        Have them then train others.

·        Empower them to be an overseer.

·        Monitor and intervene only when absolutely necessary.

·        Continue to reward and recognize.

·        Thank team members for jobs well done.

·        Be friendly and open to new thoughts and ideas.

·        Don’t intimidate (fear is a negative motivator, especially for the long term).

·        Realize that money is not the great motivating factor for everyone. Some people would rather have the recognition and/or rewards, while others enjoy a relaxed work environment or a supervisor who listens.

·        Show respect.

 

In order for a systematic approach to motivation to work you must make sure that everyone knows exactly what’s expected of them each step of the way.

 

All instructions should be in writing. It is the manager’s responsibility to relate clear and concise information to everyone involved. If you as a manager do not receive clear information, then before you pass it on make sure that you clarify everything with your superiors. Remember asking questions sure beats explaining mistakes!

 

Can you remember how de-motivating it was to receive instructions that were unclear and then be expected to perform?

 

Well make sure you’re not the bearer of garbled instructions.

 

And finally listen, listen, listen!

 

The more you listen the more you learn. The answer to the problem may be waiting to be heard.

 

Managing is an ongoing process. Monitor yourself constantly. And don’t forget how you would like to be treated!

 

The most successful managers have the most productive teams!!

 

Dan Goldberg is the President of Dan Goldberg Consulting, L.L.C. a training, coaching and business development firm located in the Philadelphia, PA area. He is the author of “The Six Steps To Solid Sales Success” and “The Seven Elements of Successful Management” programs and the audio tape “Growing A Successful Business”. You can contact him at dg@dangoldberg.com and visit his website at www.dangoldberg.com

 

 

Dan Goldberg will present the following workshop as part of the Kutztown SBDC’s Business Skills for Success series.  

 

The Seven Elements of Successful Management ™

 

This program was developed to help managers and management teams:

 

·        Increase management effectiveness

·        Understand your place in the management process

·        Learn to motivate others, set goals and solve problems

·        Other topics include interviewing skills, delegating and promoting, schedule management, how to communicate effectively, understanding and building the company’s mission and vision, and dealing with stress 

 

This program will enable managers and business owners to run more effective, efficient and profitable businesses.

 

 

Dan Goldberg is a nationally recognized business developer, master marketer, speaker, trainer, and coach.  He has been the subject of stories in Newsweek, Business Week, Playboy, Successful Business, major newspapers, and on Good Morning America.  Dan founded and owned a national retail chain, as well as a successful manufacturing firm.  He is an adjunct faculty member of the Smeal College of Business, Penn State University. 

 

Dan Goldberg

Dan Goldberg Consulting, L.L.C.

240 Arlingham Road

Flourtown, PA 19031

 

215-233-5352   

Fax: 215-836-2002

 

dg@dangoldberg.com

dangoldberg1@aol.com

 

www.dangoldberg.com