Managing your team can be tough. We've got three business management tips that will help you do the job better, no matter what industry you're in.
Building a successful business requires a wide variety of business skills. None of which were any of us born with. We have to develop those skills over time.
Becoming an effective people manager is one of those skills that takes knowledge, coaching and practice.
No one business article is going to do all of that for you. However, this article will help you start that manager journey.
For busy business owners who want to become a better manager, here are 3 quick tips you need to know. And, don’t worry, no MBA degree is necessary.
BETTER MANAGER TIP #1: BEGIN WITH THE END IN MIND
Some business owners are spending time managing their business operations in addition to managing team members. This takes awesome management skills and none of us are born with these skills.
So, what’s the first step in building your knowledge and skills?
The key to this is to take Stephen Covey’s advice to heart and “begin with the end in mind.”
This means setting and communicating employee expectations from the very beginning so there are no long-term confusion or misunderstandings.
In the business world, this process is called writing “position agreements.” A well-run business should have a position agreement for each position on its org chart.
Effectively written position agreements include responsibilities, expectations, standards and a success statement that ties the position into the company’s ultimate vision statement.
A WRITTEN POSITION AGREEMENT FOR EACH POSITION ON YOUR ORG CHART IS ALSO ANOTHER METHOD TO BUILD YOUR COMMUNICATION SKILLS AS A LEADER.
What’s most important about this tip is that setting expectations from the start means giving your employees structure and direction. This contributes to an increased level of positive employee engagement.
For you, the small business owner, this gives you peace of mind in knowing that employees and management are operating from the same playbook.
Busy business owners need to know this secret because, with open and transparent expectations set from the beginning, you can better manage your employees.
This causes your managerial confidence to go up. With more confidence you will want to practice management techniques more often.
BETTER MANAGER TIP #2: TRAIN AND DEVELOP
The core idea busy business owners need to grasp with this secret is without the proper training and tools to get their jobs done, your employees will flounder, become disinterested and eventually leave your company. You don’t need to be an MBA graduate to agree with this one.
What’s most important about this secret is that trained, equipped, focused employees feel more productive and therefore are happier to be contributing to the overall success of the business. When someone invests in you, to better you as a person, you have a sense of gratitude because of it. You feel more important and valued. That’s the feeling your employees are going to have when you take the time and money to train and develop them.
THIS SECRET IS KEY FOR EVERY BUSINESS OWNER BECAUSE LESS EMPLOYEE TURN-OVER SAVES YOU A TON OF TIME, MONEY, AND FRUSTRATION.
Employee turn-over is expensive in both time and money terms. With unnecessarily recruiting, hiring, and training replacement talent, you’re dedicating limited resources that could’ve gone towards your business operations.
So now the thing for you to do is to use your written position agreements from above as a guide and outline every tool, system, and method your employees will need to excel in their positions.
Once you’ve outlined them for each position, the next step is to schedule formal training to transfer that knowledge to them effectively.
BETTER MANAGER TIP #3: BUILD A CULTURE OF ACCOUNTABILITY
Business owners unlock big doors with this simple key secret.
Here it is: now that your employees have a formal position agreement outlining their responsibilities and expectations, and you’ve invested in their tools and training, all that is left is a culture of accountability.
What’s most important about this is that you hold your employees to a certain standard and quality of work. When accountability is baked into your company culture, employees know it is an expectation and will either live up to your standards or they will self-identify as the wrong fit.
This is important because employees behave differently when they know management has invested in their success and is now holding them accountable to succeed.
This allows you the luxury of never having to micromanage a direct report ever again. No one likes to be micromanaged and employees typically rebel against it.
MY ADVICE AT THIS POINT IS TO IDENTIFY THE MOST IMPORTANT KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS (KPIS) FOR EACH POSITION AND BUILD A SYSTEM FOR RECORDING AND MONITORING THOSE KPIS.
Review your KPIs on a set scheduled, regular basis with your employees during their formal position performance reviews.
THE PATH TO BEING A BETTER MANAGER
In the beginning, as a busy business owner, you may not believe how fast and easily you can put these tips to work. I’ve seen it happen. It’s what we help business owners to do.
Trust me, once you build these into your business you won’t believe how much better you’ll do with your MBA-level management!
YOU DON’T HAVE TO BUILD IT ALONE
Need even more, or just want faster results?
Well, if you’re a busy business owner and you’re serious about becoming a more confident manager capable of holding your people accountable and getting their best out of them, then working with a private Certified Business Coach will connect the dots for you.
