Model modern manager

Editor's Notes

• #6: Chain of Command : Line of Authority within an organization
• #23: 1. Has Personal Integrity Deals Honestly and Gains Trust : What is the use of conquering the whole world if you have lost your soul? A person without personal integrity will not be able to predict his own reactions to various situations. 2. Has Clear Long Vision; Executes First Things First; Inspires Others to Action : The leader is able to direct his actions and that of his team towards the visualized future. The great leader has both vision and discipline to work towards achieving his vision. 3. Is Solution-oriented Creative; Makes Top Management Efficient; Empowers Others : This attitude empowers others to think positively and discuss their suggestions. The top 3 list, along with the pros and cons, will help Top Management to make better decisions faster. 4. Is A Catalyst; Fosters Self Motivation : People love to achieve more than they thought they were capable of. This leads to self-motivation, removes the dependence on the leader and feeds back into the cycle of excellent performance. “ People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” 5. Strives for Excellence Always; Is a Transparent Influence : The Leader creates the environment where lack of knowledge is bridged through training, mentoring or coaching. Once this is done, he will not tolerate incompetence and carelessness. 6. Balances Confidence with Caution; Adapts Management Styles for War & Peace: In a stable environment, a great leader should : (a) have all the answers yet be willing to empower people (b) be in charge yet delegate effectively (c) set clear directions and guidelines and then get out of the way – allow subordinates and peers to manage the operations (d) develop strategic plans that remain valid over a longer period of time. 7. Rejuvenates Self; Sharpens his axe; Transforms his Strengths into Talents : “ Make continuous learning and growth a part of your daily routine.” ~ Brian Tracy “ The leader who exercises power with honor will work from the inside out, starting with himself.” ~ Blaine Lee “ Ability is what you’re capable of doing. Motivation determines what you do. Attitude determines how well you do it.” ~ Lou Holtz “ Take time to sharpen your axe” ~ Stephen Covey
• #26: Japanese TQM Philosophy : KAIZEN : Masaaki Imai is known as the developer of Kaizen. Kai means “change” and Zen means “Good” Kaizen is small incremental changes for improving productivity and minimizing waste. Shortened Steps in Kaizen : Select an event Plan an event Implement an event Follow up to an event Toyota is well known as one of the leaders in using Kaizen. In 1999 at one US plant, 7,000 Toyota employees submitted over 75,000 sugesstions , of which 99% were implemented. 5S’s – Sorting – Keeping only essential items - Simplifying – Eliminates extra motion - Sweeping – Keep the workplace clean - Standardize – Standardize work practice - Sustaining – Maintaining and reviewing standards Pitfalls : Resistance to change ; Lack of proper procedure to Implement ; Too many suggestion may lead to confusion and time wastage New Gen Management : Google follows a different set of hierarchy level that has few steps in between. It is what management experts call the flat hierarchy and it proves to be very effective for the company. Because of it, communication between the top ranks and the rank and file employees from all its global offices is highly improved and happens so much faster, which is something that most big corporations tend to lack. With quicker communication, productivity within the company is drastically improved.
• #31: Notes : Summary : Managers should delegate authority and responsibility for decision-making to subordinates The unity of command principle states that an employee should have one immediate supervisor The span of management defines the number of subordinates a manager can effectively control In successful delegation managers identify tasks to be delegated, choose a subordinate to handle tasks, and establish expectations
• #33: Extra Notes : Be Available : It can be isolating working virtually. Don’t make team members feel you are absent; be in regular contact to talk not just about their day-to-day duties, but beyond that to general queries about their day, mood and social life. Encourage informal conversations : Humans are social animals, and people tend to assume the worst if they don’t know what others are up to.  To help build relationships and trust between members, encourage your team to share their feelings and chat informally  whenever they can. Don’t play Favourites : As a team manager you need to insure you have no favourites. This is one of the most frustrating prejudices that most team members face - a boss who plays the favoritism game. You are bound to lose a lot of good employees if you play this game. Set processes : Once you have a motivated team ready to give their best, make sure processes are as streamlined as possible for smooth functioning and the team is given a certain standard to maintain. As a good manager you should view things at a strategic level and find ways to improve processes and procedures so that your team can perform more efficiently. Align team goals with organizational goals: As an effective team manager it is important for you to give the right direction to your team and be sure that your team goals are aligned with company goals. Give Credit where due : As an effective manager always acknowledge the good work done by an employee and be sure to give credit to the person directly responsible for the work. At a senior level you may interact only with managers, but when you are really pleased with some work done, be sure you include the juniors who were involved with implementation, in your accolades. A quick email or few words of praise will go a long way in boosting the morale of employees and establishing you as a boss who appreciates employees for their hardwork.  Trust your employees and let them know it : Give your team members the freedom to take their own decisions and manage things. Never be afraid to give responsibility to your team - only when you repose confidence in their abilities will they be encouraged to meet your expectations and push themselves to greater heights. Of course your guidance and support is important and you need to be there to help them learn from their mistakes in case things dont work out. Fight off Team complacency : When the initial enthusiasm dies down, the spirited atmosphere fades and a more solemn routine emerges. Make sure everyone knows, and is reminded frequently, the value of –their- efforts. Companies like Amazon, eBay or Google rarely sit on their laurels and choose instead to constantly invest in the future of their businesses.