Management Training – What to Focus on?

I have worked for many managers who think that they are good at what they do. From the ones who have “got it right” through to the ones that have “got it SO wrong”, they have all had high opinions of their skills! However, according to a poll conducted for Investors in People by YouGov, almost one in three employees would swap their manager if they could – with nearly one in four claiming they could do a better job themselves, given the chance!


However, that number is not surprising when you consider how few managers receive any kind of formal management training. If think you are a good manager, then check out the practices below to see how you measure up. You may need to incorporate some of the findings into your management style, or include them as part of a formal management training program to enable your own managers to learn.


• Communicate where the business is going.
If you want your staff to be committed to your organization, they need to know where they are going and why. People need to understand how their work contributes to the company's success. After all, having meaning and purpose in your work is highly motivating and rewarding. Interestingly the ability to communicate effectively was listed as the most important quality for a successful manager by respondents in the YouGov poll, yet nearly one in three said their manager was not good at communicating with them.


• Set clear expectations.
Be clear with your staff both in terms of ‘what’ needs to be achieved and ‘how’ it should be achieved. Setting clear goals and targets with staff can help them understand what needs to be done and keep them focused. However, it is also important to talk to them about ‘how’ they should go about achieving their goals. For example it is not acceptable to achieve a target at any cost. In the YouGov poll, honesty and integrity was ranked in the poll as the second most important quality amongst managers, but nearly a fifth of employees believed that their manager had, at some stage, claimed credit for their work.


• Delegate work.
Don’t over control your staff’s work. The more you control others work it will only encourage behavior that necessitates control. Most people want the freedom to complete a task in the way that they think is best, and this is backed up by the YouGov poll which also shows that the most popular types of manages are those who are prepared to delegate.


• Regularly review performance.
Employees need regular feedback about their performance to improve their skills and grow professionally. Make sure you regularly sit down with your staff (at least 6/7 times per year), to discuss with them what they do will and identify with them what they should do differently.


• Deal with problems immediately.
Stay in tune to your staff so you can be proactive and resolve situations before they escalate. If you notice a change in an employee's work habits, performance or behaviour, try to get to resolve the problem before it starts affecting the rest of your team.


• Recognize people’s efforts.
Everybody appreciates being recognized for a job well done. Monetary rewards aren't the only way to thank employees for a job well done. In fact the easiest way to recognize someone’s contribution is simply saying "thank you" — simple words but too often overlooked.


• Be a coach and mentor.
As a manager, one of the greatest things that you can give an employee is by sharing your knowledge and experience. Showing your employees first-hand how you deal a task, what works and what doesn’t is far more effective than just talking them through it.


• Be firm but fair.
The YouGov research also showed that the most popular types of manages are firm and also fair. For example, family emergencies other unplanned events will always arise, and its part of a managers role to show compassion by being flexible with work hours and time off so their staff can tend to important matters. Employees always appreciate a sympathetic boss, and as long as your work and business doesn’t suffer, make every effort to accommodate workers who have special needs.


In summary – you have to put in time an effort to be a manager. Too often during busy times when work is piling up, people forget to be a manager and concentrate on their own tasks. However, employees depend on their manager’s strength, guidance and support especially during tough times and this takes time, time to listen, time to discuss and time to coach.
How many of the above habits do you demonstrate? How many of them are incorporated in your Management Training programs? Think about what you need to do and take action now.