Ben Carlsen asked:
Selfish managers are much more common than you might suspect. The consequences of managerial selfishness can prove costly for the organization.
What is a Selfish Manager?
Let’s try a little logic.
Many people are selfish. Managers are people. Therefore, some managers are likely to be selfish. People are selfish because they think primarily of their own needs and not others. One definition of selfish (adj.) is “holding one’s self-interest as the standard for decision-making.”
Some managerial style differences are acceptable, and should even be encouraged. The big problem is when the manager’s style or goals are at odds with the mission and goals of the organization. Selfish managers believe that their approach is right, and may be unable or unwilling to change.
Conflicts with the Management Role
The definition of a manager is someone who “gets things done through other people.”
It definitely complicates this role if the manager is unconcerned about these other people. How do you motivate people if you don’t care about helping them meet their needs? The obvious answer is that it makes matters much more difficult. Need Theory postulates that people are motivated to meet their unmet needs (not necessarily the manager’s). Of course you can order and direct people to do things but you have to be prepared for resistance or rebellion. At best, you will achieve marginal results, generally begrudgingly obtained.
The management tasks of Planning, Organizing, Leading and Controlling, all require the participation and commitment of others to be effectively accomplished. Furthermore, we all have individual strengths which can contribute greatly to the efficient and effective achievement of desired results.
Organizational Difficulties
An organization is a combination of people and other resources assembled to achieve a specified mission. Along the way there are various goals and objectives that focus energy and time on scope limited targets which support that overriding mission.
If the manager’s goals are not in sync with the organization’s mission, the enterprise will suffer. Subordinates will be dissatisfied, unmotivated or disengaged, or worse yet working on activities that are not in the firm’s best interests. The end result will reflect in the “bottom line.”
Interpersonal, Motivational and Inspirational Skills
Increasingly today’s manager needs “people skills.” The days when managers could treat people like machines are long gone. Theoretically, we all know this. But in practice many do not apply these concepts. Frequently there is the difference between knowing something on an intellectual level and implementing and practicing that same philosophy on a real level. The selfish manager is quite Darwinian. His survival comes first.
To be a successful manager there must be compromise. Everyone’s needs will not always be met including the boss’. The selfish manager will try to get most of his needs met without much regard to others.
The unselfish manager will inspire, support and motivate subordinates. This will be done with grace and ease. The mere fact of treating people with respect, consideration, and humanity will help. The unselfish manager’s organization will obtain superior performance because the employees will experience satisfaction, recognition and accomplishment collectively and individually. They will realize that they are working for results and not just the manager’s ego, insecurities or misguided goals..
Recommendations
Recruit and retain people with superior interpersonal skills. (Don’t necessarily promote the employee with the most experience or the best technical skills.)
Conduct a managerial style and substance audit to ascertain what is currently going on.
Recognize the connection between people skills and organization performance.
Identify managers (this may be yourself) lacking in interpersonal abilities. Then, get those managers into training.
Inform managers, on a regular basis, of the company’s philosophy, mission and goals. Make sure there is understanding and ACCEPTANCE.
Verify that managers are consistently and wholeheartedly embracing and supporting organization goals, and not their own.
Make sure that managers give appropriate “credit” to subordinates. Praise and reward those managers for their team accomplishments.
Understand that unselfish managers (”I don’t care who gets credit”) generally achieve the best results.
Get ongoing feedback from subordinate managers and first-line employees.
Ideally, there would be complete concordance between the manager’s goals and those of the organization. However, we don’t live in an ideal world. The more selfish a manager is the less willing he will be to subordinate his own needs, goals and desires to those of the organization. To achieve your organization’s profit, growth and strategic objectives there must be alignment. The first step is to recognize there may be a problem.
Copyright 2008, Dr. Ben A. Carlsen, MBA. All Rights Reserved Worldwide for all Media. This article may be reprinted in your ezine, newsletter, newspaper, magazine, website, etc. as long as you leave all of the links active, do not edit the article in any way, leave my name and bio box intact, and you follow all of the EzineArticles Terms of Service for Publishers
Mitch McCrimmon asked:
Managers are normally thought of mainly as decision makers. They’re the gatekeepers between a team of employees and those at the top. With so much power, why care about coaching? Managers need to be good coaches today for a number of reasons.
One of the reasons we need to regard managers as coaches is that employees have far more power than they used to have. Managers can no longer simply order them around. Employees have the power to go elsewhere, but more importantly they have knowledge and skills the manager needs. We are so far into the knowledge age that the manager’s fundamental role has shifted from expert to facilitator, from decision maker with all the answers to catalyst and coach.
Modern managers buy services from employees which they sell in turn to their internal customers. Just as companies have formed partnerships with their suppliers and invest in their development, so managers need to see employees as strategic partners and treat them accordingly.
Being in the middle between so many stakeholders and experts, effective managers are essentially catalysts or facilitators. Instead of being experts, they need to know how to draw the best solutions out of appropriate others. This is where coaching skills come in. Coaching can be used to develop people, help them solve their own problems or to facilitate open discussion, brainstorming and better decisions.
Coaching normally means helping people come to their own conclusions by asking provocative but supportive questions. But the same questions and techniques can also be used to draw solutions out of a diverse team of experts. Skilled facilitators do not ask mere factual questions which are best used by experts seeking to gather information so they can make their own decisions. Facilitative questions ask people what they think, what they see as the options for dealing with an issue, what they regard as the pros and cons of various options and how any foreseeable obstacles might be addressed. Coaches also ask questions about feelings, values, needs and aspirations so that the whole person being coached is fully engaged in developing a new way forward.
This is not to say that managers no longer make decisions, that they should do nothing but coach and facilitate. Managers are really playing coaches. They still need to score some goals but, following the 80-20 rule, they should spend the bulk of their time asking the right people the right questions and using their answers to think up new or better questions to ask them again or other people.
Coaching skills can also be used to help managers influence reluctant colleagues. It is often much more effective to ask a colleague how she might benefit from the manager’s proposal rather than to sell her the benefits as the manager sees them. The more the manager can get the other person to articulate benefits for herself, the more likely she will be to buy the proposal. When the manager focuses on selling benefits as he sees them the other person is sitting there thinking of objections. Often people object to proposals simply because they had no hand in developing them. Clever managers have a knack for making people feel as though they developed the idea themselves. This is done by asking the right questions and in a tone of voice that implies asking for advice. People like to be asked for their advice. Nothing is more flattering or shows more strongly that you value that person.
Coaching skills are closely allied to active listening which makes use of prompts in addition to questions to draw more information out of the person you want to listen to. For example, simply saying “I see,” and pausing can encourage the other person to expand. Or you might say “That’s interesting. Could you please tell me more about that?” Active listening is active because you are not just passively soaking up what the other person is saying. Rather you are prompting and probing supportively to dig deeper into what the other person is trying to convey.
If emotional intelligence is an essential character trait for the modern manager, applying it through coaching is a vital way to show it. The more that managers work in a knowledge intensive industry, the more they need to be able to use coaching skills.
Duncan Brodie asked:
How often have you heard people complain that managers are too remote and don’t really know what is going on? Probably a number of times, but have you ever stopped to think about the skills, traits and values of the successful managers? Here are my 9:
1. Productive
The most successful managers are highly productive. They get things done. You have probably heard people say that if you want something done give it to a busy person. Another way of looking at it is to say that if you want something done give it to a highly productive manager.
2. Set challenging goals
Successful managers love to be stretched, challenged and thrown into the unfamiliar situations. Setting challenging goals is about setting goals that that are achievable but will require a big push to make it happen. It might be a sales target, a reduction in waste or increased productivity.
3. Express ideas fluently
It is no good being great at generating ideas unless you can express them. Getting your message across is essential. Those that excel as managers focus on this core area.
4. Communicate assertively
Confusion often arises between what is assertive as opposed to aggressive communication. When a manager communicates assertively they respect both themselves and others. They have a knack of getting results without impacting adversely on the relationship.
5. Technically competent
Sometimes it easy to fall into the trap of believing that technically competent equates to being the technical expert. Technical ability is just one facet of a manager and a manager who is competent will often include others in the team who are the technical experts.
6. Lead the team
Teams look for the manager to set the direction, monitor progress, take responsibility and help unclear blocks. In other words they look to their manager to provide leadership.
7. Loyal and supportive
It is easy to think that when someone becomes successful as a manager they forget about the past. In my experience it is quite the reverse. Successful managers are very loyal to the organisation, their team and peers. They also want to help others to achieve success.
8. Positive approach to problems
Problems and challenges are part of day to day life as a manager. Successful managers accept this and stay positive. They see these problems as an opportunity to develop and grow.
9. Prepared to make sacrifices
Becoming a successful manager requires a willingness to make sacrifices. This can include giving up free time to get additional qualifications or a willingness to relocate to secure a promotion. Alternatively it might be a willingness to wait to get resources for a project because there is a more pressing need elsewhere in the organisation.
Skills alone do not ensure success as a manager. Personal traits and values are also essential ingredients. So where do you need to focus your efforts to become a more successful manager?
Jay Tokarz asked:
You have worked hard at your job, and your education and experience is golden to you. But experience is also what you need to land the perfect position at your favorite company.
A career in Project Management is a fulfilling one and can bring many years of joy by sharing with others the skills that you know.
If you are looking to create a resume that will guarantee a call back or even if you just want to tweak your present resume, here a few tips and suggestions into making your resume stand out.
First off, be sure to eliminate all wording in your resume that you don’t need, try to stay away from using too many slang and fluffy words that only tend to fill in the gaps and steer around the point. You want to make a strong statement that you mean business and you really want this job. Stick to action verbs that will announce and speak for you on your behalf. You need to set it up so that the resume is going in place of you and taking your spot in that chair, basically make your resume talk for you.
At the top of the page you will want to briefly summarize your skills and what you have to offer the employer, this is a very important piece of the resume if not the most important part, make sure you are brief and straight to the point!
Make sure to compliment yourself and your skills, for example use keywords and turn them into statements that can easily sum everything up in one sentence such as- Over seven years of experience in implementing, developing and managing complex projects with the ability to meet deadlines and time constraints with ease and accuracy.
Use some bullets to highlight your skills related to the position such as; I have coordinated benefits for the transfer of employees and new hires, proficient with home marketing, budget planning, permanent housing, temporary housing, home sale buyouts, tax assistance and expenses reimbursements. My years education and on the job success will bring fresh ideas and trusted experience to your company.
Always stick to a generalized type face such as Arial or Times New Roman. Keep your font size to 10 or 12. You can use 10 for the body of the resume and the introduction, and if you please use a slightly larger size for the header which will include your name, address, phone number, email address and any other contact information. This will provide an easy view if the employer needs to look at the resume at a glance.
Always make sure you proofread and even have a trusted secretary thoroughly look over your completed resume. As much as you think things have turned out perfect, someone else can always locate a simple mistake, and lets face it, we all make them.
You wont have another chance to make this impression again. So make it sparkle and shine!
Andrew Karasev asked:
Microsoft Dynamics GP 10.0 has higher reliance on such new Microsoft technologies, as SQL Server Reporting Services or SRS, Sharepoint with its famous workflow (competitor to traditional Lotus Notes workflow) and of course eConnect (this is rising star in GP software programming and e-commerce development). If you was GP IM user or developer for earlier versions, you probably remember that IM required GP user workstation to be up and running (and so taking extra precious user license in system manager), plus all the forms got to be closed in IM GP instance, and this is understandable as Integration Manager deployed OLE server technologies (GP workstation was serving as OLE application server). And additional complication was related to the fact that you had to login to the specific company to do integration, IM could not switch companies automatically. All these restrictions were
gone with the appearance of eConnect connector for Integration Manager 9.0 and 10.0
1. eConnect technology stack. There is no magic behind the scenes about eConnect - you can read nice pile of whitepapers and technical documents about eConnect technology, but in the beginning of the chain you see traditional and old known SQL encrypted stored procedures. These stored procedures replicate and probably improve GP traditional Great Plains Dexterity business logic. In some cases they are Dex following and do it in SQL cursors, in other cases they use SQL aggregated logic, such as Select, Insert into and similar constructions. If you look at Dexterity performance restrictions (Dex is C programming language written shell and so it in turn is two layers architecture and it is by its nature a bit slow). And consider these facts about Dexterity, you could trust us, that eConnect does job a way faster than Dexterity based old Integration Manager connectors
2. IM and eConnect. Microsoft Dynamics GP IM introduced new connectors, now you can deploy original eConnect connectors and get performance boost. If you are IM manager consultant, who used to consult for older versions: 5.0, 6.0, 7.0, 7.5, please remember this important change - eConnect IM integration integrates to dedicated GP company and so database
3. VBA scripting. Even if you are using eConnect connectors for Integration Manager, you still can deploy traditional VBA scripting techniques to manipulate integration: Before Integration, Before Document, etc.
4. Traditional IM connectors. At this time Microsoft Business Solutions keeps traditional OLE integration connectors in and, considering this nice fact, you can still seamlessly upgrade IM from earlier versions (however we discovered the fact, that if you are on version 7.5, you can’t just follow upgrade wizard, you have to upgrade in two steps with intermediate version upgrade.
Linda Ferguson asked:
You have finally done it. You have left the front lines and been given your first job in management. Now what? The world - and your workplace - can look quite different from the other side of the desk. Whether you are working with a team you already know or you have landed in a brand new workplace, here are five practical tips for making the transition like a pro.
1. Listen. Managers are more likely to be judged by how well they listen than by how well they communicate. Great leaders are great listeners. You probably remember that one of the key frustrations of being on the front lines was the difficulty you had in finding a manager who would listen to you. Now you are on the other side, begin by listening actively to all the people around you. Listening means encouraging people to talk to you by engaging them non-verbally, allowing them to speak uninterrupted, and then repeating back some of their words to show that you have heard them. Offering back their own words also has the advantage of showing you were listening without committing you to agreeing with them or to acting on what they have said.
2. Find common ground. Your role as a manager is to discover the common ground between what you are hearing around you (from your peers), what you are hearing from your staff, and what you are hearing from senior managers. On any given day, lots of people may be eager to explain differences to you - they will tell you why there is no common ground. They will be wrong. There is always common ground and it is your job to identify it so that you can build on it.
3. Check in with yourself periodically. It is great to begin the day by setting objectives and to take time out at regular intervals to notice how well you are meeting larger objectives and longer-range plans. More than this, however, it is important to stop for a few seconds and notice your own instinctive reactions and understanding within a given situation. As a new manager, you will regularly be pulled into situations you do not fully understand and you will regularly be asked to make decisions based on information that you do not yet have or have not yet understood. Check in with yourself and notice that sometimes you can make a good decision without more thought, and sometimes you need to get more information even if it makes someone else unhappy.
4. Appreciate strengths in yourself and the people around you. To appreciate a strength means that you notice it, you evaluate it, and you express appreciation for it. When you appreciate a particular strength in a member of your team, you will offer thanks or praise in the best way possible. You will let someone know that you have noticed something they do well and that you have noticed how that particular strength is useful in accomplishing your team’s objectives. This kind of precisely-targeted appreciation allows your team to replicate strengths (because they understand exactly what is valued), provides motivation, and provides appropriate limits to your praise.
5. Find a role model and notice what works for that person. A model is not the same as a mentor: you do not need to find someone willing to dedicate time and effort to making you better and you do not have to commit yourself to following direction before you know whether the directions given will work for you. When you identify a role model, you observe that person at work and appreciate the behaviors and attitudes that allow that person to get the results s/he gets. You look, listen, and imagine what it would be like to act in the same way. Observing a role model will help you notice what you already know about being a good manager, what strengths you already have, and where change is likely to make you more effective.
Your first months and years in management are bound to be confusing: information and demands will be made on you from many different directions and you will get used to not being able to fully anticipate everything you need to handle. If you practice these tips once in a while, you will feel that you are making progress in developing the new skill set you need. If you cycle through these tips several times every day, you will find that you step so naturally into the role of manager that you are already on your way to your next promotion.
Akhil Shahani asked:
Leaders say “… this is where we are going”. Managers say “… this is how we are going to get there.”
So are you a manager or a leader? Although the terms are used interchangeably, they are two different faces of the same coin. Knowing whether you are more of a leader or a manager will help build self-confidence. This will result in a greater impact when dealing with others and running your business in general. Let us now understand the difference between managers and leaders.
a) Contrasting personalities:
Managers emphasize wisdom and power; they are problem-solvers focusing on organizational goals, resources, people etc. They have foresight and are capable of resolving issues. They are hard working, analytical, tolerant, persistent and kind towards others. Yawn!
Leaders are alleged as brilliant, but are often lonely animals. They believe in achieving self-control before they try controlling others. Leaders can envision a purpose and inspire others to work towards it. They are passionate and imaginative and are natural risk takers. Somewhat like the king of the jungle.
b) Differing attitudes:
A key difference between managers and leaders is in their attitude towards organizational goals. Managers adopt a passive attitude toward goals, since they are usually not the ones that set them. A manager views goals more as a necessity to be dealt with, rather than a desire to be fulfilled. Managers occupy themselves with existing and current issues. Hence, they are usually found reacting to new situations as they happen, rather than anticipating them.
Leaders, on the other hand, are proactive since they are far more focused on the future. They generate new ideas and have a personal commitment towards realizing them. Leaders are change agents, and can transform existing attitudes and beliefs.
c) Varying work orientation:
Managers view work as a process to get things done. They are clever at plotting strategies and making efficient decisions. Managers will rarely upset the applecart, and will therefore play a balancing role as far as possible. That means that they can reconcile opposing views, and empathize with most people.
Leaders tend to view work as a bit of a bore. Their dislike for the mundane drives them to develop new approaches to long-standing problems. Quite often, they’ll set the cat among the pigeons by throwing open debate on issues that people feel strongly about. Leader can bind others towards common ideals and raise expectations all round. The biggest difference between managers and leaders lies in their risk taking ability. No prizes for guessing who can take how much.
d) Divergent interpersonal skills:
Managers are a collaborative breed, preferring to work with others. However, they maintain a low level of emotional involvement in their work relationships. Again, the manager’s affinity for stability is reflected in the fact that he will attempt to resolve differences, make compromises, and establish a power equation.
The difference between managers and leaders is once again underscored in the way they deal with others. Leaders, if they work at all, are more likely to do it alone. At the same time they are sensitive, intuitive people concerned about the impact their decisions could have on employees. Despite that, a leader will usually elicit strong feelings from followers - both favorable and otherwise. This is fine by them, since they do like to maintain a healthy dose of turbulence in their relationships.
e) Opposing sense of self:
Managers are at peace with the world. They identify closely with their environment and believe that their role is to ensure a continuation of the way things are. Their sense of self is derived strongly from the values they cherish - fulfillment of duties and responsibilities and promoting harmony in their surroundings are central to it. Managers are comfortable acting as conservators of the existing order of affairs.
In marked contrast, leaders view themselves as quite separate from their environment. Their lives are all about trying to find a sense of order, in what they perceive to be a chaotic world. Despite being part of social groups, they never really have a sense of belonging. Their need for change is again reflected in their perception of their role in society - which is to act as a change-agent or reformer.
While it is terribly obvious that there is a difference between managers and leaders in virtually every aspect of their personality, what is not, is the fact that both are equally necessary for the overall development of an organization. Any team composition must have a healthy mix of leaders and managers, which will ensure that their complementary strengths work in the greater interest of the organization. It’s also a fact that both managers and leaders can be built, or at least improved, and that’s what training resources from walkthetalk.com, training-games.com and mindtools.com aim to do.
James Gehrke asked:
Kotter argues that leadership and management are complimentary yet different. He believes that organizations that develop and promote leadership skills will out perform those who emphasize management skills since organizations with leaders will be able to adapt to the changing market place.
My multinational business experience in Europe confirms that organizations who emphasize leadership skills are greatly valued. The Turkish organization, while a less developed organization than others in Europe, was known as a breading ground of global leaders. The country manager, like Kotter describes, gave young managers the opportunity to lead teams, then laterally moved them to other departments in order to broaden their exposure and experience in developing strong leadership skills rather than deep departmental skills.
This example demonstrates the value of leadership skills. Still, leadership is only one role that a manager plays and not a completely separate skill set. I disagree that “people cannot manage and lead” (Kotter, 2001). While the leadership role may be growing in importance, the other management roles are also important. Without balance a leader/manager may not fully benefit the organization. For example, long term planning certainly needs the vision of a leader, but management skills must also be used to organize the teams in ways to meet that vision. Furthermore, a leader/manager must have the communication and motivation skills to align and motivate, as well as the organizational and team building skills to ensure the team is organized and developed in ways to meet future challenges.
Because I see leadership as one of the roles a manager plays, I consider myself a leader/manager and not one or the other. In all the leadership roles I have been given I have needed leadership skills to lead the people as well as skills to manage the business. The two roles are not mutually exclusive.
Kotter, J.P. (2001). What leaders really do. Harvard Business Review. 79(11), 85 - 96.
Yukl, G. (2006). Leadership in organizations (6th edition). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson/ Prentice Hall.
Tony Jacowski asked:
There are so many managers out there in positions of authority who make terrible managers and are definitely not the greatest managers in the world. Because of this, truly brilliant managers are always in demand - and if you happen to be a great manager, then expect to earn more than your peers.
Different Types Of Managers
The first type of manager is the bad manager who doesn’t last in any position of authority for too long. They behave erratically and don’t understand how to manage and effectively guide their teams, or know how to produce results. They always mix their ego in with their job functions and have extremely high turnover rates for their team members - and thus, their careers.
Unfortunately, there are quite a few bad managers in top positions today. Perhaps this is the biggest reason why companies make so many operational errors and don’t realize why there is low morale throughout the company.
The second type of manager is the good manager. These are the ‘B’ and ‘C’ students in their professions. These managers are quite knowledgeable and know enough to get the job done properly and produce outstanding results. But, good managers can never do better than this - even if they wanted to. Of course, good managers are a notch above the bad ones and their turnover rate isn’t that drastic, but they certainly never see the overall picture or exceed expectations.
Good managers are often happy to stay in the position they already are in. However, they are honest and reliable and form an essential part of the organization. Everyone loves good managers and they are a precious tool to boost the spirit and morale of their employees.
The Great Manager - Not An Oxymoron
However, the highest-level managers are the great managers. Great managers tend to exceed expectations consistently and have a clear perception of what it is that they want and how to deliver it. These are the company’s heroes who produce over and over again. Since they understand how to motivate, delegate and follow up, they can achieve almost anything - and that too, with much less energy spent.
Without great managers it would be practically impossible to get any work done. And long-term goals would never be accomplished. They are the captains of the ship, sailing their beloved ships into uncharted waters but still knowing where they are headed. Great managers know exactly how to get the job done and to be a success. Since they are born winners, they feel that any misjudgment or mistake can be overcome with the right plan of action.
Great managers are rare and precious assets that most organizations cherish, as they are the ones who generate revenue for the organization. They have the ability to think outside the box and are unafraid of taking new and untested actions. What’s more, they aren’t afraid of ruffling a couple of feathers in order to get work done. Without great managers there wouldn’t be any economy or successful businesses to speak of.