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Recent Entries Is 'leadership' really a critical factor for corporate success?If You'd Only Known Managers and The Performance Gap Federally funded performance training for small businesses Managing The Change Most Forget The rationale for executive coaching Agile Strategic Planning for a Rapidly Changing World Introducing: The Multi-talented Work Teams of the Future Performance Reviews >> Time for Scheduled Maintenance Showing The Ropes - a review
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Performance Pointers If You'd Only Known One of the most common experiences among first-time managers is the sinking feeling of never going to be any good at this thing called management. If only they’d told you ahead of time what it would be like, you may very well have declined the honour ... How can anything be so frustrating, and how can anyone get anything done if you’re in meetings with your people all the time? The answer is simple; not easy, just simple. You’re no longer supposed to get things done (yourself). Let me qualify that statement: The things you’re supposed to get done are very, very different from what you used to do, before you became a manager. Most people stumble into management; they’re really good at being an individual contributor, they take initiative, they help others who may be struggling, they’ve developed a level of expertise in their field that has gotten them noticed. All these things get you noticed. All these things increase your value to the company, and trigger the desire to make more, and better use of your talents. Sometimes you may have even indicated to your boss that you think you’re ready for more responsibility. And when the moment comes, and someone has a development discussion with you, and offers you a bigger job, with more responsibility, and sets you on a management career path, most people are flattered and proud and eager to take on the new challenge. And before you know it, suddenly you’re a manager. And everyone is congratulating you on your promotion. And then, 3 or 6 months later, you wonder what you were thinking. The secret to a happy life as a manager is this: you are not the star player anymore, you’re now the team’s coach. As such, it is more important that you know what your players are capable of individually, and where their strengths as a team lie, than that you can do their work. Your job is to “point them in the right direction, and then get the heck out of their way”. Phil Jackson, the Chicago Bulls’ coach during the Michael Jorden / Scottie Pippen streak of 6 consecutive NBA championships said in a FastCompany interview: “Michael’s job is to get the ball in the basket. I don’t care how he does it, whether he throws the ball, dribbles it there, or carries it in his teeth. He knows how to do his job, and I just get out of his way.” Whoever said “There is no “I” in team”, had no clue what they were talking about. Initially, there are only “I’s" on your team. And your job is to shape all these individual talents into a “We”. There are lots of books out there that will talk about “Leadership” and “Management”. They’re not what you need. What you need is a guide for coaches; practical advice that you can apply immediately. Invest $35 in this book: “Coaching for Improved Work Performance” by Dr. Ferdinand Fournies. It will rock your world, and help you become a better manager, but above all, a better work coach. And it will make your life a lot easier! Last updated on Sep 23, 2010 at 07:10 AM Category: Leadership Development Retaining & Motivating Book Reviews 0 comments | Leave a comment (must be logged in)
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