Secrets of Successful Managers Revealed

How to Succeed in Management

Dec 17, 2008 Anthony Vultaggio

Have you ever wondered how certain individuals manage with ease while others struggle? The answer is simple. Uncover the secrets of successful managers.

Successful managers are not a dime a dozen. They are not the person best suited to the task they manage. They are is a unique breed who understand people, motivation and how to breath life into an organization.

Want to know the secret to their success? It's as easy as one, two, three.

1. Communication is Key

• Get to know your people. Take them to lunch and listen to their story. Get to know their history and dreams. Where did they grow up? What do they want to accomplish in life? Who or what do they love? Who or what do they fear? Understanding people puts you in a position to proactively manage to their strengths and weaknesses. Bring up things you learned in conversations. You’ll make them feel important and stay connected.
• Let them get to know you. Be vulnerable with them. People are ten times more likely to go the distance for someone for whom they feel empathy.
• Use the information they share to motivate and inspire them. Find positive motivators rather than punitive ones. Tie their dreams to their goals. If someone doesn’t care about money but dreams of sailing the Caribbean, tie their annual bonus to a trip instead of cash incentive. If your employee had a tough childhood with unsupportive parents, be supportive. Challenge former athletes to compete for the love of the game. Give introverts the space they need to self manage.

2. Use Positive Coaching Techniques

• Don’t treat everyone equally. We all have different needs and desires. Some assimilate information issued verbally; others work better with written communication. Some get every project done on time, others get it done right. Work with each person as an individual and coach them to achieve their personal best.
• If you have to say “I am in charge” then you’re not. Don’t push your weight around or try to be the heavy. Threats and other fear-based motivators may feel seductive to your ego but they can be very destructive to staff morale and yield more negative than positive results.
• Help them achieve their dreams. If you show your employees that they can work hard and actualize their personal goals, they will perform better in the office and bring more value to the company. They will also be more loyal.

3. Be the Example

• Lead by example. People will work as hard as you and will resent it when you don’t. If you tell them to reach for the stars then sit back on your laurels, it won’t take long before the entire department or company at large stops striving for the best.
• Enjoy what you are doing. Joy is infectious. If you have found the key to enjoying your work, they will look for it too, because you help them to believe it exists. Remember that being real and vulnerable doesn’t mean letting yourself off the hook. Show employees that you do your best and they’ll meet the rising tide.
• Love working with people. If you don’t like working with people, you have the wrong title. If you think that managing is like babysitting, you’re in the wrong profession. As a manager, your job is the staff. Your clients are the staff. Management is a skill and a profession all on its own.

Successful managers are good communicators, great listeners and excellent role models. They listen first, then speak in a way that shows they are in tune to their employees. They exemplify and inspire positive attitudes and habits. Remember that managing isn’t babysitting. Effective management trickles down through the ranks and empowers people to prioritize projects and align their actions to goals. When this happens everybody wins.

The copyright of the article Secrets of Successful Managers Revealed in Business Management is owned by Anthony Vultaggio. Permission to republish Secrets of Successful Managers Revealed in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

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