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National, regional, division, sales, service, and general managers face polar challenges during their workweek. Most managers have to balance building the business, growing revenues, shrinking costs, managing people, opening territories, developing talent, and making quota. Add to this list keeping current customers happy. These are just a few of the things that keep managers awake at night.
Managers are placed in positions with numerous problems and opportunities depending on their outlook. Then they just start solving issues as soon as possible. Right or wrong, it is a natural tendency. First, define the issues. Are they product oriented, service oriented, or people oriented? Let's look at the people-oriented problems. To tackle these problems, where does one start?
Yourself
Understand yourself. It is one of the most painful, but effective, steps you can take. You are probably not the funny, kind, caring, smiling, happy, and outgoing individual that you think you are. Tape record your next phone call. How do you sound? Are you surprised?
Listen carefully to your voice mail. Do your employees find you approachable? Do they feel threatened? Make sure your people want to talk with you. How do you find out? Talk to them.
By asking their opinions, you have opened two-way communication. Your employees are empowered by you when you allow them to voice their opinions and concerns.
Others
The first place to get serious is to understand, to develop, and to monitor your employees. Many managers see the forest, but fail to see the trees. Consider the source of most business problems-people. Your headaches could be a direct response to people interaction. Most conflicts come not from what is said, but from how it is said.
Understanding
Do you understand the employee in question? Does the employee see how he or she comes across to customers and fellow employees?
Listen carefully to your people's voice mail. Are they friendly, courteous, and helpful? Do you want to talk to your employees?
Show your employees some respect. They have an opinion of you-let them express their thoughts. The fact that you asked their opinion goes miles in building trust and respect.
Developing
Think of individual needs. Do not compare and contrast employees. This is where being a manager of people gets serious. You cannot blanket your people into one group. Your time is important, but to make a difference, you have to do more. Every customer wants to be treated individually, and so do your employees.
Monitoring
By understanding and developing each employee relationship, you can monitor progress accordingly. Some employees require more time to understand and develop.
The amount of time that is required to manage employees differs. Even internally, People Styles matters. Being the boss means using power to the good of all, not playing the role of a god. Your employees know you are the boss. Get serious and show them that you are human and care about them-each one of them.
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