Management Mastery

In our November 13, 2023 episode we discussed the importance of empathy and defined it as “our social radar”; that is, our ability to understand what others feel, and why they do what they do.  We identified the characteristics of people who display empathy, why empathy is important to the functioning of a department, and how the manager can help the members of the team improve their empathy.  In this episode we’ll focus on you, the manager, and how the level of empathy between you and your staff, can hurt or help you.  We’ll give you a way to rate your own level of empathy, and talk about steps you can take to increase it. 

The questions that get leaders and teams into trouble are often the ones they fail to ask.  In the process of planning and decision-making, a critical role of the Manager, is to uncover key information, insights, and alternatives, by asking critical questions others may have overlooked.

Gaining new information can be difficult than it sounds for two reasons:  First, you may be blinded by your own expertise, as well as your own approach to problem-solving.  This may make it difficult to try new approaches.  Second, the flow and diversity of questions can be hard to process in real time in today’s fast paced environment.

New Managers often have a habit of talking too much.  A lot of this is due to feelings of insecurity in their new position.  They often feel they need to show they are “in charge” by dominating the conversation – especially with their staffs.  This is a mistake  In this episode we will explain why and how to use silence – that is, simply talking less.  We will also discuss the opposite problem: When staff, unsure of how to deal with a new manager use silence as a defense – afraid to speak any more than necessary.  We will cover how a good manager deals with both types of silence

Providing help to the members of your team can be tricky.  Since you’re the boss, staff members are aware that you supervise and evaluate them, and if you come in and say “I’m here to help” it may or may not be received well.  Those managers who come in too heavy-handed often receive a bad reputation.  In addition, staff members can have strong emotional or psychological reactions to unnecessary or unwanted help.  In this episode, we’ll discuss how to provide help in a manner that’s well received. 

When surveyed, most managers say they give each of their team members equal attention, respect and consideration.  Yet the research over many years finds that bosses have “in-groups” with whom they have warmer, more personal relationships and “out-groups” where they act more transactionally.  In this episode we discuss why that can be bad for the manager and how to make an effort to change that dynamic.

There are a number of honest mistakes new managers often make.  In this episode, we discuss three of the most common and, often some of the hardest to totally avoid making.

While a promotion can be gratifying, exciting and rewarding, it often carries with it new or increased pressures and strains on both you and your family.  In this episode we talk about how to deal with some of those new burdens.

The best managers recognize that one-on-one meetings with staff members are key to building a cohesive, well-run team.  By one-on-one meetings we’re talking about status update meetings where you and your staff member discuss their progress on assignments as well as any other issues they or you may have.  Why? Because staff members are critical to your success, both as individuals and members of the team.  They’re constantly evaluating you in terms of how much you care about them as individuals and as members of the team.  Not feeling that you’re interested in them can cause them to lose interest in the success of the department. In this episode we discuss how to demonstrate your interest in them through these regular one-on-one meetings.

A manager cannot be explicit or clear enough regarding guidelines.  One of the ways that you can provide clarity is by spelling out the way that your staff need to work together and interact with colleagues, clients and stakeholders.  A simple way to think about this is to ask, “what specific behaviors will enable us to succeed?”  In this episode, we’ll discuss what a set of ground rules might look like, how to put one together if you haven’t and how to ensure that every member of your team is aware of them. 

Far too often, Managers think that “customer service” refers only to services provided to the general public or others outside of the company.  As we have discussed in previous episodes, every department, in every company, serves customers. Whoever uses what your department provides is your customer and how well, or poorly, you service their needs will determine how your department – and you – are perceived and valued within your company.  In this episode, we’ll discuss how to provide the best possible customer service regardless of who your customers are.