Keep Management simple
Do you get a sense that your managers are busy, but busy with the wrong things? Even as a Director in a big corporation I was often surprised at the low level conversations and decisions that I ended up having to be involved in.
Its worse in small businesses. After eight years of largely owner based coaching, two years ago I turned my attention to the managers in my clients businesses. Working for an owner in a small business demands much higher levels of resilience, emotional intelligence flexibility and creativity, than in big companies and organisations.
I’ve been running Leadership development programs for these individuals for around two years now and I am just about to launch my next program.
If you want to really understand how to help your managers, supervisors and junior directors to step up into their roles then you need to register for this Fridays free online masterclass: Managers that Manage, Leaders that Lead.
I’m interested (which means you should be too) in how your managers fill their days. In spite of how complicated a day in a Small business managers life looks they are only ever doing one of two things.
1: Keeping the wheel turning
Managers need to ensure ‘business as usual’ or BAU. This involves keeping the wheels turning on the company machine. The company machine delivering the margin, wins and keeps customers and, hopefully keeps employees smiling.
BAU is about routines, processes, systems, data and habitual behaviours. In most busy small businesses it is at least 70% of a managers role. Getting BAU right is not as simple as it sounds, especially in many small businesses.
When I worked for Tesco an analysis was done that suggested that if everyone in head office was removed the business would be able to keep going for a number of weeks before a serious impact was felt. This was because of the high level of automated processes in the distribution and retail systems (and this was the late 80’s!!!).
The absence of this level of systemisation in many smaller businesses means your managers have to engage in constant supervision, training, monitoring, measurement, correction and performance management just to keep the engine running steadily.
The task of managing BAU is by its very nature repetitive and it is easy, under the weight of pressure, for managers to slip below the line when it comes to operational management.
It is also easy for every hour of their busy days to be consumed with firefighting and sorting out problems. Whilst this heroic struggle looks like commitment to the company it leaves very little time for their second role…
2: Growing and Improving the wheel
The other side of the coin and where, for me, managers really earn their stripes is when they drive change.
The ability to see beyond how things are done now, to take considered decisions, to understand and shift the perspectives of others, and to navigate the obstacles and barriers that make change seem impossible….. these are the behaviours that separate great managers from good ones.
Most managers tell me they want to do more development work but either they don’t have time, they can’t get you to commit or they can’t get change to stick. Personally I think there are four underlying reasons. They lack:
- the self belief or awareness to ‘show up’ at their sparkling best, bring their ideas to the table and take decisive action to drive change
- the interpersonal skills and patience to create persuasive arguments and behavioural change
- the fully rounded understanding of commercial realities and priorities that are the bedrock of good business decisions
- a robust decision making and implementation framework that ensures ideas get converted into results.
These are the pillars of Commercial Leadership. The good news is every one of your managers has a level of in-built capability and a unique leadership style just waiting to be brought to the surface. When this is unearthed and held them in place they become super effective and you get the kind of management team that will move you forward quickly.
If you'd like to find out how to help your managers unleash theri true potential then join me online this Friday morning for my FREE one hour masterclass;