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It’s time to master your management skills!

When we are young and naïve (scratch the young part because I have seen as many older people with similar misconceptions about management!), we believed that we could just hire the right people, tell them what to do, and they would be do it. If they didn’t, we could just fire them and hire someone else who could do the job.

Now does that scenario work? Yes, it does, BUT it’s not that easy!

Great managers seem as if they are hardly working but weak managers are the ones who are putting in the long hours and never seem to get enough done. What do these great managers do?

We all have our own personal examples of great managers. Think about the best bosses you ever had. What did they do? What made them so good? Why are they so memorable? We remember great managers for a lifetime--but we remember the horrible managers as well!

It's amazing how you can remember a manager you had 25, 30, or even 40 years ago and the impact they had on your life. These people are described as tough but fair. You automatically respected them but also liked them. They got more out of you than you could get out of yourself. They knew how to motivate and inspire. Somehow, you never wanted to let these people down. What's the magic formula that they had?

If you want to have some fun with this topic, go up for dinner with 3 to 6 people and ask the question, “Who was the best boss you ever had and why?” When people start to describe the best boss they ever had, their mood seems to change. Sometimes they get euphoric or seem to be in a bit of a trance describing their favorite manager and the profound effect that one person had upon their lives.

Here is my list of things that constitute good management:

1. Good management starts with hiring the right people. The subtle difference that great managers possess is they take the time to determine exactly what the job is and what they expect from a new employee.
2. Great managers know the type of person who would succeed in the job. Every job requires certain unique talents and attitudes. Know them! Use an assessment service to help you identify them.
3. Hire Attitudes, Train the Skills! We can do so much more with people with good attitudes than with problem people.
4. Know what a good job is, a great job and a terrible job. Make sure your employees know it better than you do.
5. Schedule regular one-on-one meetings just to talk. It’s simple but it goes a long way.
6. Catch an employee doing something right and celebrate it.
7. Celebrate Mistakes. Mistakes happen, especially when we are first learning. When we recognize and accept that, the tension leaves everybody. This should be part of your expectations.
8. Never reprimand in public. Always do it behind closed doors. Embarrass the employee and you will create an employee with a bad attitude.
9. Fear Motivation causes more problems. You will make your employees afraid of change and they will start to cover up mistakes. Great managers NEVER employ it.
10. Send Birthday Cards and Anniversary Cards. It’s a little thing that just goes a long way. Sometimes it’s the only card they get.
11. Be up when your employees are down and be down when they are up. This means that sometimes our employees need a little encouragement to get them through tough times but they can’t get too arrogant or sure of themselves either. Great managers maintain that balance.
12. Give them space to perform but be there when they need you. That also means to check on their tasks as well. Great managers are always aware of what their employees are doing.
13. Share information with your staff: Make your employees feel like they belong; they are valuable member of a team.
14. Give lots of little things. It’s the little things that matter in life. Sometimes a fun lollipop can go a long way. Flowers for a holiday, a gift certificate to a restaurant, or any store for that matter, can make you memorable.
15. Have some FUN! Many of our employees don’t work for just the money; they work for the people contact, the camaraderie, and yes, the FUN. Never lose sight of that.

This is just my partial list. If have any other ideas you would like to share, send them along to me at rick@ricksegel.com and I will l publish them in an ebook, giving your idea full credit. If you don’t want your name used, just let me know.