Bad/Good/Great Managers.

Just today morning I came across this article and thought to share.

"Bad managers tell employees what to do, good managers explain why they need to do it, but great managers involve people in decision making and improvement."

There might be more to management to that, but I think that's a pretty good start. "Lean management," or the Toyota management style, encourages leaders to live in that "good to great" range (with apologies to Jim Collins).

Bad managers bark orders. They are directive and tell employees what to do, without any explanation or context. I saw that style of management quite often during my first two years at General Motors (read my previous post about that experience) and the workplace was incredibly dysfunctional as a result.

There are top-down, "command and control" managers in every type of workplace, unfortunately. Managers who are controlling and have all the answers want their employees to "check their brains at the door," and often say so quite explicitly — or they spread that message in more subtle ways.

At GM, front-line employees complained that they were "hired for their backs and their arms, not their brains." In hospitals, healthcare professionals (even those with master's degrees) have complained, "They just want us to do what we're told." This is not a recipe for quality, productivity, or good customer service.

A friend of mine lives in a high-rise condo building. One example of "telling" was the general manager telling employees that the doors to the resident gym must now be kept closed at all times. For years, previously, the doors had been left open unless a resident wanted privacy and chose to close them.

My friend asked one of the employees, "Why are the doors closed all of the time now?" The employee replied, "I don't know, [the manager] just told us to."

It's disrespectful to just give directives without letting people understand the reason(s) why. There might have very well been a good reason why the doors were now to be kept closed. Had the manager taken just a few minutes to share a reason why, the employees would feel better about themselves and would more likely keep the doors closed. If employees are following directives out of a fear of being "written up," they aren't in a position to provide great service.

A good condo manager would explain why the doors now need to be closed. And, if there wasn't a good reason why, they wouldn't force the change on a whim.

A great condo manager would involve the employees in coming up with solutions to whatever problem is being solved by keeping the doors closed. The employees, when being posed with the problem, might come up with the idea of "close the doors" or they might come up with something better. Either way, they would feel a greater sense of ownership over the idea since they were involved in its creation.

During my time at GM, the better of the two plant managers I worked for taught us that Lean leaders (in the style of Toyota leaders) will always explain why something must be done, in those rare instances when they have to give a directive. The dynamic changes from "thou shalt wear safety gloves (because I'm the boss and I told you so)" to "you must wear safety gloves (because it's necessary for your safety and we don't want you to get hurt, even though you might think there is little risk)."

Bad managers tell. Good managers explain why.

Great managers go beyond this.

Great managers might engage the employees in figuring out how to reduce the safety risk that makes gloves necessary in the first place. Maybe an employee would suggest that a different, but equally effective, chemical be used. We don't know unless we engage our employees.

In 90% of workplace situations, I'd guess, the manager shouldn't be telling people what to do, even if they are making the effort to explain why. Great managers engage people in designing their work and they continue to engage them in ongoing improvement. As I learned from former Toyota employees and the books of Taiichi Ohno, work procedures "should not be forced down from above but rather set by the production workers themselves."

Related: The VA Scandal: Problems Caused by the System (Targets & Incentives), Not Bad Individuals (LinkedIn)

This mindset and approach requires that leaders set aside their egos and century-old habits. of top-down management. Managers won't have all of the answers. Instead of dictating how things get done (and expecting obedience and compliance), managers need to work together with employees to define how the work is done. Managers need to ask employees what ideas they have for improving the workplace, through the practice of "Kaizen."

Our employees are adults and they deserve our respect. They deserve great leaders who can work together to help everybody succeed and do what's best for their customers (or residents).

Posting From : http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/237470

Thanks & Regards,
S.Grace Paul Regan

Seven Signs You're Wasting Your Talent !

Today I was going through a post in linkedin : Seven Signs You're Wasting Your Talent. I recommend any one working in the IT industry to go through this post when you get some time. You will find it worth. 

Some of the key points which intruded me: 

1. There is no sense in fear-based management. The Godzilla system in place in most large companies and institutions isn't run on common sense but on a bizarre and self-referential Business Logic instead. 
2. We would not insult salaried employees with an attendance policy
3. When you aren't moving forward you are sliding back, because time moves on.
4. it's reasonable to want some recognition for your contribution!
5. Living well is the best revenge!
6. Get yourself into a place where you can find your voice and speak your truth, a little more every day.
7. No employer is worth damaging your resume for!

Thanks & Regards,
S.Grace Paul Regan

How to Create a Positive Work Environment

It does not matter if you are a manager, company owner, or the lead staff member in a specific department, if you are someone that everyone else turns to, or considers an authority figure; it is up to you to ensure that there is a good working environment.

This includes a lot of different issues. For example, some people say that a positive work environment has more to do with the comfort of the working areas, the general atmosphere, and even the color scheme than it does with anything else. Others might laugh at this notion and say that a positive work environment is one in which all members of the staff are clear on their responsibilities and confident in their role. Even more might say that it has to do with trust, expectations, and more.

So, how do you create a positive work environment when there are so many ways to view this issue? It really is not all that complex. There is not a lot of difference between the three definitions above. Though it might seem that there is, the reality is that they all reflect a few simple things

What are they? Essentially, a positive work environment has to do with the comfort of the people who are working in all levels of that environment. It has to do ith the level of success that the work has achieved. And it has to do with a sense of respect throughout all levels of the workplace.



How do you create that? It takes the following:

Trust - For people to feel comfortable, they have to trust one another. That means that each person who works in a specific work environment must demonstrate that they are dependable. Say you are going to do something, and you must follow through on it. If you are a manager, this is key, but you must not be the only one who has to follow through. It must be a clear expectation that everyone has to be dependable to this same level.

Communication - Open and positive communication across the entire work environment is a major key to a positive workplace. Why? When everyone who works in a business or firm feels that they are valued in the same way as anyone else, it is going to create a very successful atmosphere or setting. This begins with strong communication that allows each person to know that they have been heard. Good communication is also going to be fostered through group communication. Regular meetings and times when each employee can discuss projects, concerns, or other issues is going to nurture an open and balanced workplace.

Teambuilding - You cannot force a sense of team spirit to develop between co-workers, but any manager or business owner can most certainly use teambuilding activities and behaviors that ensure all employees feel valued and important. When they do, it creates a very strong workplace. How is it done? You must find ways of showing every single member of the staff that they are providing an important role in the firm. When people feel individually valued by those around them, it allows everyone to strive for a common goal. Rather than fighting for respect or recognition, they already have it and will happily work with co-workers to achieve office or business goals.

It is never easy to achieve all of these things, but when leadership strives for this sort of community spirit and sense of value among all of their staff, it ensures that everyone is working together to meet specific goals. This creates a positive workplace in which people really look forward to coming to work each day.