11 Simple Management Tips and 3 Truths from Filling the Glass
By
Barry Maher
[Editor's
Note: if
you’re looking for 10 reasons why Barry Maher’s book,
Filling the Glass
has been honored by Today’s
Librarian magazine as “[one of] The Seven Essential Popular Business
Books,” here are 11 of them.]
Tip:
Vision
without substance is not vision, it's illusion. Illusion has no long-term
motivating power. It's worse than no vision at all because it creates distrust
and cynicism. And vision is a two way street. It comes down from the top
of the corporate ladder. But it should also rise up from the individuals who
make up the company. Each of whom should have a vision for what they'd like
their life to be.
Tip:
Try
treating your people the way top salespeople treat their most important
accounts. This means service. It means respect and courtesy and taking the time
and the trouble to build rapport. It also means getting their input before
making decisions—and getting their buy-in afterward.
Tip: Dictators
dictate. Leaders sell. Their subordinates, their peers and sometimes even their
superiors, follow because they wish to follow. In situations where you lack
dictatorial power—in other words where you lack the
authority to have people taken out and shot—try leadership.
Tip:
Don't
expect team players if you haven't made it a team sport. Too frequently,
businesses extol teamwork then set up situations that destroy any possible team
spirit. If I don't win when the team wins, I'm not on the team. And it will
never take more than one victory for me to figure that out.
Tip:
Any
manager who expects his people to put the company's needs ahead of their own
needs and the needs of their loved ones is not bright enough to be a manager.
How many managers put company needs ahead of their own?
Tip:
Too
many.
Tip:
Help your people feel better about themselves. There are few things in life
more rewarding then helping others grow and succeed. Especially if you helped
give them the faith in themselves to try to succeed in the first place. Mark
Twain said that great people make you feel that you too can become great. Make
others feel that they can become great and maybe you won't be a great person,
but you will get great results.
Tip:
Speak softly and carry a big carrot. It usually works better than the stick.
Concentrate on the what’s in it for them, and the what’s in it for you will
usually take care of itself.
Incredibly
Obvious Tip: Bringing
out the best in people makes those people happier. Make the people around you
happy, and you'll be surrounded by happy people.
Incredibly
Obvious Corollary: Most
of us are happier when we're surrounded by happy people.
Final
Tip: The job doesn't make the person, the
person makes the job. Finding a way
to do your job that's in tune with the way you believe you should be living your
life can make you far more effective on the job. If it makes you less effective,
perhaps you’ve got the wrong job.
Three Simple Truths
There are three simple truths that
managers should never forget:
1) You can never expect your people to
have a greater vision for the company than the one that your actions demonstrate
that you have.
2) If your people believe the company
is trying to take advantage of them, many will try to take advantage of the
company. Some will succeed.
3) You can never expect your people to
be more ethical than you are. Even if you've never done anything against them,
if they see you cutting corners with customers, why shouldn't they cut corners
with you?
Adapted
from Filling the Glass: The Skeptic's Guide to Positive Thinking in Business by
Barry Maher (Dearborn 2001).
Barry
Maher consults, writes and speaks on professional development, motivation,
management and sales. Filling the Glass: The Skeptic's Guide to Positive
Thinking in Business was recently cited by Today’s Librarian as
“[One of] The Seven Essential Popular Business Books.”
© Copyright 2008, Barry Maher, Barry Maher &
Associates, Las Vegas, Nevada
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