Coaching to Success

Our business is your success

Management

Is your business ‘mentality’ much like the 17% of UK homes that DON’T use the internet?

We were reading an ‘Office of National Statistics’ article that stated that 4 million homes in the UK are still not connected to the internet.

Imagine that, in today’s society, people still don’t use the internet when just over half of the adult population accessed web browsing over their mobile phones! Internet access plays such an important part in all our lives both for social and business needs.

To add to this, there are interesting questions being posted on legal LinkedIn groups inquiring the validity of electronic signatures.

So all of this got us thinking. How many businesses out there are still using old fashioned accounting systems, the equivalent of using the abacus when calculators became the latest gadget. Do people still use facsimiles to send documents? Are we locked to the desk with stand-alone PCs rather than laptops or tablets?

Times have rapidly moved on and maybe now is the time to look at how your organisation works. If you’re stuck doing the same thing in the same way but don’t like where it’s taking you, you can be assured, unless you change, your final destination remains set.

Much as technology continues to rapidly move on, so must you engage new ideas (and the hardware if you still use the abacus!) here’s some food for thought to boost that workplace productivity level and change your destiny!

  1. Focus on the ‘Team’ – We once worked with a distribution firm who wanted the sales force to work together to win contracts only then to promote that the highest ‘individual’ achiever of the year would win a family break in Euro Disney!! How contradictive is that? Getting your team to work ‘together’ toward a common goal certainly boosts productivity as well as relationships thus removing the chance of conflict.
  2. Avoid Micromanaging – Yes, you could do it better! (think of it as differently!) but micromanagement leads to stress, despondency, lack of trust, contempt or even fear. Management adds the structure, good leadership lets people thrive. Learn to let go and treat people like adults. Accuracy and retention of good workers will then be gained.
  3. Scramble Monotonous Tasks – make sure you don’t allow those tasks to continually land on the same people’s desks. Share tasks around. This aids communication, keeping fresh ways of achieving them flowing and the tasks, as they’re not always done day in, day out in become less tedious!
  4. Laughter – One of the biggest forms of learning and high productivity is gained from simply having a laugh. If adopted already, loosen the “it’s not the way we do things around here” attitude as when people enjoy what they do, knowing that they can laugh without reprimand, productivity soars.

Still unsure? Well if you are still on that same road, what have you to lose? Be brave, step away from your comfort zone and see what difference will be had from making a difference and believe in what you’re doing.

Should you be looking to change the way you currently do things, Coaching to Success specialise in change management and the affects it has on people, call Neil on 07761 187238 or email info@coachingtosuccess.co.uk to arrange a free, no obligation consultation

Managers, or even Middle-Managers! … Do we ‘Really’ need them?

Having recently read an interesting article (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-23462290) by Lucy Kellaway (Author and Financial Times columnist) she addresses how ‘Management’ only really came into existence in the 20th Century.

Now I’m a great believer that management is critical for any organisation to work effectively and efficiently but I have also noted that since the 1980s, the title of manager springs up for all tasks. It then simply becomes a title rather than a position!

As Lucy wrote, “A conductor is a train manager. An administrator is an office manager. A technician is an IT manager” and so the list continues. How many people do you know hold the title of ‘Manager’ but don’t actually manage people under direct government? In turn, it belittles the role of those who are managers while opening floodgates for distrust and even dislike to others in the workplace.

So here are 10 tips to become a ‘Great’ manager with both title and responsibility…

  1. Adaptable style – Communicate according to the style of the people you are addressing without forcing your own preferred management style on them. Understand before being understood!
  2. Unnecessary obstacle removal – Cut back on un-necessary admin or paperwork. For example, do you need a written report for everything?
  3. Pareto principle – Focus mainly on the 20% of your time on what generates 80% results.
  4. Step by step – Rome wasn’t built in a day so neither will your empire! Set small milestone goals for the individuals/teams and celebrate each success.
  5. Delegate – One of the most empowering tools around. Let go of processes that others are capable of doing. Concentrate on what is relevant to your level.
  6. Share facts – And dispel rumours. Frequently inform others any communication that is relevant no matter how trivial you think it is.
  7. Feedback – People expect to know how they are doing, both good and bad. Make sure everyone receives feedback to avoid any misguided thoughts that they or others create for them.
  8. Lead by example – All too often I hear of managers complaining about staff being on Facebook and then just check it themselves! This goes for workload too, don’t ask them to work until 8pm while you leave at 5pm.
  9. Gratitude – A little sign of appreciation goes a very long way. Physically write a ‘Thank you’ note or at least email them while cc the boss or other members in too.
  10. FUN!!! – Introduce an element of fun into the proceedings. A happy person is a lot more productive than an unhappy jobsworth! Think of some innovative ideas, or, better still, get your team to think of some fun activities (some to be carried out in work time) to creative some positive energy

This is just an overview so whether you want to become a better manager yourself

or are looking to improve the management skills of those within your team, Coaching to Success knows how to improve the skillset of existing or recently appointed managers. Simply contact Neil Nutburn on 07761 187238 or send an email to info@coachingtosuccess.co.uk to arrange a free, no obligation consultation to prove that management within your organisation is a necessity and not just a title.