![]() |
Management Information |
|
|
Being a Great Boss
Are you one of those bosses that people just love to hate? Maybe successful, maybe very intelligent, maybe organized and moving forward but just can't get along with people. Communication and other people skills are as important to the success of your business as your talent, knowledge and entrepreneurial drive. After all, you cannot do it all by yourself and you need good people. I remember being a very arrogant and egotistical program director back in the mid 1970's when my boss called me into the office and flat out told me "Mike, you got talent and drive but you need to learn some diplomacy". I'll never forget that meeting. This mentor taught me things like no matter how great my idea was it was probably going nowhere if I couldn't convince, persuade or lead people to buy into it. I learned that very few people want to negotiate with a bull-head. And if they do because they must then they will resent it for a long long time. Some will even look for the opportunity for payback. I relearned things that were taught to me in elementary school. Things like "you attract more bees with honey than vinegar". As a 7 year old the key word there was bees so who cared, right? As a businessman the key word had become attract. Same sentence different meaning. Things like "smile and people will smile back at you" or "extend your hand and the other person will shake it". It doesn't take a lot of extra effort to be a nice boss. As a matter of fact it's a whole lot easier to be nice than it is to be a hard-ass. And the payoff is so great in a happy and productive workforce that I can't reason why some bosses still act in a totalitarian, dictatorial way. How do your people perceive you? I'm not talking about being a wimp and saying yes to every unreasonable demand an employee makes. I'm talking about listening, caring, empathy, leadership and, oh yes?diplomacy. Mike Shannon is the owner of Shamrock Business Coaching, a coaching practice that helps business owners increase profits. You can visit Shamrock Business Coaching on the web at: http://www.ShamrockCoaching.com.
MORE RESOURCES: |
RELATED ARTICLES
Creativity and Innovation Management - Money Doesnt Do It Creativity can be defined as problem identification and idea generation whilst innovation can be defined as idea selection, development and commercialisation.There are other useful definitions in this field, for example, creativity can be defined as consisting of a number of ideas, a number of diverse ideas and a number of novel ideas. Problems with Group Decision Making DECISION BY AUTHORITY RULE: Many groups start out with-or quickly set up a power structure that makes it clear that the chairman (or someone else in authority) will make the ultimate decision. The group can generate ideas and hold free discussion, but at any time the chairman can say that, having heard the discussion, he or she has decided upon a given plan. Assertive Communication - 6 Tips For Effective Use What IS assertive communication? Assertive communication is the ability to express positive and negative ideas and feelings in an open, honest and direct way. It recognises our rights whilst still respecting the rights of others. Knowledge Management - Learning Whilst Doing - Facilitating an After Action Review Introducing a learning culture into organisations can be difficult at times, particularly if the effort required it great and the benefits aren't quickly identifiable.After Action Reviews (known as AARs) are one of the simplest knowledge management techniques, and have been used to great effect in organisations ranging from the US Army, to BP, and even in the development sector in NGOs like TearFund. 1000 Managers Turned Their Plans Into Energy! I bet you can't tell me how leadership training andstrategic planning work together to boost business resultsand energize performance improvements.A recent survey of 1000 managers conducted by the UK-basedChartered Management Institute, revealed that organizationsexperienced, "improved business performance when [theirleadership] development [programs were] linked to [their]business [strategic planning process]. 4 Simple Steps to Successful Delegation Last month, my featured article was about creating a "Stop Doing" list. Hopefully, if you followed my suggestion, you now have a list of tasks that you are looking to delegate away. Meaningful Diversity: Creating Cultures of Inclusion In the fitness room the other day, I caught a glimpse of a movie trailer on television. A father spoke very open-heartedly with his son about his work as a fireman. Business Innovation - Improvisation Creativity can be defined as problem identification and idea generation whilst innovation can be defined as idea selection, development and commercialisation.There are other useful definitions in this field, for example, creativity can be defined as consisting of a number of ideas, a number of diverse ideas and a number of novel ideas. Dealing with Marginal Performers: The Therapeutic Approach --PREPARATION: The purpose of the therapeutic approach is to spark an employee toward improved performance through counseling. The manager's goal is to help the employee recognize the existence of a problem, accept the need for change, and formulate his or her own program for improvement. The Power in Praising People One of the keys to success is to have successful relationships. We are not islands and we don't get to the top by ourselves. Prioritise Your Day - Keep Focus - Win! Whether you run your own business or manage a team, there are times when things don't go to plan. Like:-Your key people don't show up. The Three-Dimensional Communication System Human communication is always three-dimensional. No spoken or written message is ever just words or rational thoughts. Tales from the Corporate Frontlines: The Role of Character in Leadership This article relates to the Senior /Top Level Management competency, designed to measure satisfaction levels regarding top-level management at your organization. AlphaMeasure defines senior management as the team of individuals at the highest level of management who have the day-to-day responsibilities of operating the organization. Time Management and Team Development - The Yes and No of It Sometimes.In fact making some small changes to the circumstances when we use these two little words, can make all the difference. Change Management: Getting Everyone on Board the Change Train How do you get everyone on board the change train that is gaining speed and heading out of the station? How do you get your people to, not only go through the motions, but also actually "buy into" the changes that are necessary? People's resistance to change is not entirely irrational; it stems from good and understandable concerns. Here are the six most common reasons people resist change and tactics to convert this resistance to commitment. Implementing Change There are different reactions that individuals experience during time of change. Understanding the emotions of an individual may better help them get through the period of unexpected change. Appraisal Systems - Not Living Up to Their Objectives Almost, if not all organisations have them, they've been around for a very long time and some organisations swear by them, however on the whole the average appraisal system fails to live up to the expectations of the organisation and often they can cause more trouble than they are worth."So, minister, here we are at the end of your government and the record doesn't look to good, crime is up, hospital care down, the economy still shaky and poor public services. The Seven Cs: Partnership Danger Signs - Conflict Becoming the Norm - Part 1 A series of articles exploring the seven critical areas that can indicate a partnership is in trouble.Conflict Becoming the Norm - Part 1Dr. Business Innovation - Value versus Quality Creativity can be defined as problem identification and idea generation whilst innovation can be defined as idea selection, development and commercialisation.There are other useful definitions in this field, for example, creativity can be defined as consisting of a number of ideas, a number of diverse ideas and a number of novel ideas. Bar Charts Brought to Life: Index of Interactive Information for HTML and PDF Bar Charts and the Information ChallengeWhether one is an unknown entrepreneur or Donald Trump, an elementary school teacher or a university president, a 6th grader researching other countries or a government leader visiting them, each person in any capacity has at least one thing in common: information.Let me explain why I use bar charts as an example. |
| home | site map |
| © 2006 |