Be a Great Boss in Hard Times

  

If you want a great team, be a great leader.  This is always true but in hard times good leadership and managementbecome critical to any kind of success and sometime to survival

Here are 10 thoughts on how you can be a great leader and a great manager.

1. Vision - Have a clear vision – know where you going!  Don’t just lead your team out into the storm – know where you are headed and share that information but be clear about the risks.
2. Priorities - Align your priorities with the needs of the organization, then, if you can, with the needs of your people.     Explain your priorities clearly to your team – make sure they understand.  If things have changed make sure they understand why!  Test that understanding!
3. Realism and idealism - Have ideals but don’t be idealistic – do not be a perfectionist but do expect good quality – there is a difference.  Recognize that your people are human and human beings do make mistakes.  When it happens, find out why and try to make sure conditions or systems change so that it does not happen again.  Good leaders and great managers don’t punish!  If there is a disciplinary issue then deal with it quickly, fairly, and by the rules – see Integrity below!
4. Praise and Recognition - Don’t look for excuses to be disappointed – start looking for excuses to say well done!  Say thank you to your people!  Even when you can’t give bonuses, personal recognition goes a long way in making people feel valued and motivated.
5. Stay Calm - Try being more relaxed and appearing positive even in these challenging times.  If necessary use a relaxation technique to help you control your own anxiety – don’t spook your staff!   Be realistic but don’t panic – it just frightens people!  Remember Type B personalities succeed just as often as Type A in this day and age and they live longer to enjoy it!
6. Listening - Listen to what your people have to say even when you don’t actually want to – make the time. Don’t but in with the “buts” – hear them out.  Listening is part of recognizing them and their contribution.  Surprise, surprise, they may just come up with the idea that saves the business.
7. Team Work and Delegation - Check your delegation.  Are you still delegating all that you can?  In times of pressure don’t lose confidence in the team and start pulling things back.  It’s de-motivating for them.  It is important to stay part of the team – join in the jokes (so long as no one else is excluded) – they will still respect you.  If they really feel part of the crew they are more likely to stick with the boat even when it is leaking a bit.  Be part of the conversation – it will help you understand what they are thinking.  Show you have confidence in their ability to help pull the organization through!
8. Patience - Don’t rush into panic decision making because you feel anxious.  It’s a natural reaction but it really will not help – a panic reaction is not likely to be a good one.    Take time to make decisions properly.  Gather the facts; seek the views of your staff.  Then when you have made the decision take time to explain it to them!
9. Integrity - Be as honest as you can and above all be fair.  Tell your people the real position if you can, but also tell them what you are doing about it.  If they have a role, explain that to them.  Be as honest as you can about the risks but don’t threaten the business with your honesty – it’s a fine judgment call.  When you can, help your staff prepare for bad news.  But combine all of this with being scrupulously fair.  They will know if you play the favourites game or take the opportunity to pay off old scores when you are laying people off or reducing hours.  You will lose good will and that extra contribution you need from those who stay.
10. Training - If you can, keep on training your staff.  Encourage them to train themselves.  If there are training opportunities locally encourage them to take them.  Learning new skills could be good for your business and it will help them cope if you have to lose them.  Don’t stop thinking about your own professional development needs – you too need to prepare for an uncertain future!

These are 10 thoughts but there must be lots more out there.  If you have views on the ideas above and more ideas to contribute then please make a comment.  This is an important time and organizations need to make the best use of all their resources.  People are the most important resource of all.


If you are interested in ethical management you might be interested in the book below. 

Peale and Blanchard encourage managers to confront ethical dilemmas in this short, very readable book. Much as Blanchard did in The One Minute Manager, they use the parable format, focusing initially on a hiring issue for a manager in a high-tech company in which many common ethical problems emerge. The authors present a three-question check list for dealing with ethical issues in organizations and encourage top management to empower managers to think and act ethically by implementing a simple system of five principles of ethical power.


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• What Makes a leader ? (paulmccannma.wordpress.com)