Succeeding as a Manager
The role of the manager is to implement the organization’s strategy through his or her stewardship of the available resources. Just like the leadership role, there are conflicts and tensions that have to be resolved, and all managers need to be leaders to some extent.
Defining the role
As a manager, your focus is on the delivery of tasks, on the efficient use and coordination of resources, and on developing capabilities of people within your team or organization. You must quickly realize that you cannot do everything yourself, and develop skills in setting objectives for yourself and for others, in delegating tasks, and in managing your team.
Delegating tasks
Delegation is about giving responsibility to others for part of a project, so freeing time for you to coordinate the work of all members of the team, like the conductor of an orchestra. It’s also a good way of developing people—of growing their skills, experience, and confidence. You need to be clear in communicating the tasks to be delegated, the standards and goals to be achieved, and the boundaries of what can and can’t be done. Not all tasks are suitable for delegation. Don’t delegate unless the objectives of a task are:
Clear, specific, and measurable
Targeted and achievable in a set time
Worthwhile and realistic, but challenging
Written and recorded
Consistent with the goals of the organization
Set participatively.
Managing team performance
Communicate the big picture. What is the organization trying to achieve and how does your team fit in?
Explain the objectives you have to achieve and the measures on which you will be judged.
Discuss, as a team, how these will be achieved and develop an outline plan.
Decide how the tasks in the plan will be distributed between the team, the milestones to be achieved, and who will be responsible for what.
Delegate tasks to team members. Avoid telling people in detail how the task is to be performed. Once the task is delegated, leave them to get on with it.
Meet individual members on a one-to-one basis at regular intervals. Monitor progress, listen to their needs and concerns, and provide support.
Meet as a team regularly to review progress, track the performance measures, reallocate resources as necessary, and revise the plan when needed.
Share the team’s success and accept personal responsibility for failure.
