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The perfect manager

13/03/2007

The perfect manager
Action points for better leadership

Ultimately, the truly great managers are the ones who stop to think where they want to go and then have the shameless audacity to set out. Gerard Blair

If we went to the shop and bought an identikit perfect manager, what attributes do you think they would have? Stop for a minute and think about it. What comes to mind?

Harvard Business School narrows down all the desired attributes to one essential quality: Focus. Many managers get bogged down with trying to sort out their subordinates problems, taking on an ever-greater burden of workload. There is only a finite amount that one person can do, and this approach will lead to a lack of focus in the manager.

It is essential to develop the habit of truly concentrating on what you are doing. When you are at home playing with your children, really play with them. If you are talking with a friend, a colleague or your partner, really listen to what they are saying. You will be amazed at how relationships develop when you start doing this. When you are at work and dealing with a team members dilemma, apply the same method. Focus on what they are telling you and really listen to them. Often the solution will become apparent when someone is truly listened to which includes listening to what they are not saying. All you need to do then is give them the confidence to deal with the problem themselves.

Try out this method the next time someone comes to you for help. Ask them what they can do to improve the situation. If they say I dont know, challenge them with What would you do if you did know? You will be amazed at how often this draws out the solution.

Enjoy the journey

If you can visualise what you want to achieve in management, you are halfway there already. Steven Covey calls this beginning with the end in mind. Olympic athletes often imagine themselves standing on the winning podium listening to their national anthem, then start to work out what steps they need to have taken to get there. For example, in 1896 the mens 100m final was won in a time of 12 seconds. In 1996, Donovan Bailey won it in 9.86 seconds (which would have won most 100m races since). Therefore, someone training for the London Olympics in 2012 will need to look at running a time of 9.85 seconds to stand a good chance of winning. (This will probably involve a bit of practice running and some early mornings, as well as eating fewer doughnuts and laying off the fags, for any of us thinking of doing this.) If you know where you are going, you stand a better chance of getting there and you have told your subconscious self that you want to get there, so it can start to lend a hand.

What are your goals in management? Make a list of everything you want to achieve in your current role, regardless of whether the role is a stepping stone to somewhere else. Once you know where you are going, you can start to plan your journey. It is vital that you enjoy the journey or you will forget to enjoy the destination. Try and get into the habit of enjoying everything you do. If you find a task particularly irksome, see whether someone else in the team enjoys doing it and then train them accordingly. If no-one likes doing this task, take turns to do it with your turn first.

There is something in every task that is enjoyable. Try to practise looking for this enjoyable element. There is a film called The Scent of Green Papaya where Mui (a Vietnamese servant girl) is ordered to get on her hands and knees and polish a huge wooden floor every day. Mui learns to love the smells drifting in from the garden and the way that the wood takes on a glow where it has been polished. Her polishing becomes almost meditative, and her tranquility and dedication have a positive effect on the other members of the household. Mui turns a seemingly soul-destroying task into something that enriches her soul and the souls of those around her.

Be a role model

The perfect manager is one whom others want to emulate. Their behaviour and attitudes are copied by their colleagues, not always consciously. We can help ourselves a bit here.

Instead of trying to become a truly great manager all on your own, think about some great managers and leaders you already know.

If you have ever truly respected a colleague, try to identify what it was about them that you admired. We can also look at famous public figures who have shown great leadership.

What were their values? What were their beliefs? How did they demonstrate these in their behaviour? For example, what makes Nelson Mandela a great leader? Is it his compassion, his integrity, his patience? How does he demonstrate these attributes?

Kathi Siefert of Kimberly Clark Medical is ranked the third most powerful business woman in the world. In 2001, she was ranked No. 1 Business Woman in America. How did she get to this position? What are her values and beliefs? One way to find out is to ask her! A fantastic way of learning how to be a great manager is to ask a manager whom you respect to act as your mentor. Put yourself in positions where you are likely to meet inspirational leaders. Attend lectures and seminars, join committees and steering groups and introduce yourself to people you admire.

When you meet someone you want to learn from, ask them if they will be your mentor. This may take the form of an occasional coffee, or maybe a phone call every now and then. It may involve working with them. You wont know until you discuss it with them.

Become what you are

Spend some time working out your own values, then start behaving like someone who has these values as their essence. For example, if you value integrity, courage and wisdom, look at situations with these values in mind and start to demonstrate them. Ask yourself: What would someone with integrity, wisdom and courage do in this situation? Then go ahead and do those things. There is a saying Fake it till you make it, which I personally dont like but which applies well here except that you will in reality be following your true values, which are your drivers in life. It may feel initially as if you are faking it, but the more you adopt these behaviours the more natural they will feel. If you always act with integrity, courage and wisdom, quite soon you will be known as a person who represents these admirable management qualities.

Being able to deal with conflict and difference of opinion with staff, customers and suppliers with assurance is really the mark of a great manager. Such attributes imbue that individual, and those around them, with considerable confidence.

Phil Jones, Senior Training Consultant, Skills and Projects

Try making up your own identikit perfect manager, then start the journey to become that person. If you know where you are going and why you want to go there, all you need is to start doing something about it. Is there such a thing as a perfect manager? If there is, could it be you?

There is an old Irish proverb, Talking about it never saved the harvest. Set your goals, then do something towards achieving them. Do it now.

In all my years of coaching, there are two things that Ive noticed separate the truly great from the others. The first is focusing on your vision. The second is taking steps towards achieving it.

SUMMARY

Ask yourself: What are the attributes of a perfect manager?
Focus on what you are doing. Visualise yourself as the perfect manager in the future, then think about the steps you took to get there.
Ask yourself: What behaviours are demonstrated by great leaders?
Introduce yourself to potential mentors.
Define your life values, then put them into practice.
Do something now.