Many leaders secretly share with us that they wish they had received management training earlier in their careers. By the time they take on major leadership roles, it is assumed that they know HOW to manage. They tell us that this is rarely the case.
Effective management is a skill and, like other skills, it takes practice and patience to develop. Here are three proven tips that will give you a leading edge:
1. Write down your top performance standards and share them with prospects, clients, employees, and your boss. If you are not sure what they are or how to express them, chances are others don’t know either and you are leaving a lot to chance. J.Ferm client, Barbara Wayman of BlueTree Media, shares her standards with prospects, clients, and partners so they know what to expect when working with her. They include: “Quality matters, so you’ll always receive our best work,” “We’ll speak up and share our expertise so that you can make the best decision,” and “Our work is start-to-finish. Once you hire us, consider it done.”(
2. Become a “debriefing expert” and help your people reflect on what works well and what doesn’t. Former Top Gun pilot Chris Greene teaches managers in corporate America to formalize the debriefing process he learned in the military so that it becomes a natural part of the team’s continuous performance improvement process. In the military, failing to address and correct mistakes immediately can have disastrous effects. Organizations and corporations may not have lives on the line, but unchecked mistakes can prove very costly.
3. Schedule time for strategic planning. According to Pat Nickerson, author of Managing Multiple Bosses, senior executives spend between 30-40 percent of their time engaged in strategic planning. Managers, on the other hand, spend about 5-10 percent. This leaves little to no time to plan what to delegate, how to motivate, and resolve conflicts strategically. Avoid this trap by scheduling a recurring appointment with yourself to plan.
2009 Jessika M. Ferm & J.Ferm, LLC
Jessika M. Ferm is a writer, coach, speaker, and consultant on leadership, management, and business topics and is known for her “no frills no fluff” approach to sharing information. She is the President of J.Ferm, LLC, an international leadership consulting firm offering no frills, no fluff management skills training that produce measurable results. For more information about the “No Frills No Fluff Management Skills Program” or to sign up for the for the free “Leading Edge” newsletter, visit: http://www.jferm.com/.
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