The manager as coach

The manager as coach
With the appropriate skills, it is possible for any person
to coach another. However we must also recognize that, as
managers we have a host of other responsibilities to attend
to and that some of these might make it difficult to coach
as often or as effectively as we might like. Some
organizations solve this problem by appointing people to a
specific coaching role. However, in many workplaces this is
simply not feasible and it is much more effective to ensure
that managers and team leaders are equipped with good
coaching skills.

The trick is for us to understand some of the tensions
created by acting as coach and manager to the same group of
people. Let's look at some specific issues:

"I also have a range of other tasks to attend to"

In our role as a manager we have many demands on our time.
We probably have to allocate and distribute the team's
work, monitor budgets, keep records and attend to quality
control and so on. For most of us it is impossible to do
everything so we prioritize; trying to attend to the most
important jobs first. Unfortunately this can lead to
short-termism and constant fire fighting and mean that
coaching and training take a back seat. We tell ourselves
that coaching and training are important and that we'll do
some when we've got all these other things done. But
tomorrow never comes and our in-trays get filled with more
urgent or important stuff and the coaching gets left for
another day and so it goes on. The great irony is that this
vicious circle can really only ever be broken by investing
time in training and coaching the team, so that
increasingly they are able to take on more tasks and free
us to do more coaching and thus create a virtuous circle
instead.

"I might sometimes have to discipline the same people"

This is undoubtedly true and does need to be considered in
establishing an effective coaching relationship. As a coach
we are primarily concerned with helping others to learn and
so we need the people we coach to feel completely
comfortable in talking through work related issues with us.
A good coaching relationship is founded on trust. We must
trust in our team members to work towards their potential
and they must trust that we, as their coaches, will keep
confidential anything said during a coaching session.

What we need to do is explain to people that as mangers we
wear 'different hats' and that when we are coaching we are
doing so with the utmost sincerity and that our concern is
to work together to identify improvements in performance.
Other management processes such as appraisal reviews or
disciplinary matters should be handled separately from any
coaching sessions so as not to confuse the roles.
Coaching works best against a background of high trust and,
as this may take time to build, we may have to wait
patiently for the coaching sessions to develop to a point
where people feel really comfortable in talking about
things they'd like to develop. Happily, coaching is a
really effective way of generating trust quickly as people
will soon see that the good coach genuinely wants to help
them reach their potential.

"I might not be able to give them what they want"

Some managers worry that their staff might 'hijack'
coaching sessions and use them as an excuse to ask for all
sorts of expensive or irrelevant training courses or funded
education programmes. These same managers fear that by
turning such requests down they are seen as being insincere
and not really taking their coaching role seriously.

Once again, trust is important here and so is clearly
defining the purpose of coaching at the outset. We need to
make sure that our team members realize that coaching is
about helping them to move forward and exploring ways of
achieving this but that coaching does not take place in a
vacuum. In other words whilst, as a coach, we will wish to
support a person's development, quite obviously we will
need to balance this against a range of other factors such
as other team member's needs, budgets, timescales and so
on. We might not be able to grant every request that
emerges from a coaching session but this is no reason not
to coach in the first place.

"There might be more pressing issues"

In terms of the structure of a coaching session, the most
effective coaching happens when the individual sets the
agenda as this is in keeping with the notion that coaching
should raise awareness and generate responsibility.

However, many mangers are at a loss to know what to do if
their own view of what the current performance issues
differ from those of the team members. Again we must
acknowledge that whilst this is a possibility, it is not a
reason to avoid coaching. We must accept that we cannot
hide behind coaching in the hope that we might avoid having
to confront a difficult performance issue. If there is a
need to 'tell it like it is' or to give someone some
pointed feedback then that is what we must do. Furthermore
we should do so openly and honestly and not pretend that
what we are doing is delivering a coaching session for the
other person's benefit.

It is important that we understand these factors as we
consider the role of the manager as coach. None of the
problems mentioned are insurmountable and provided we are
aware of them, none present any real barrier to effective
coaching.

----------------------------------------------------
Matt Somers is a coaching practitioner of many years'
experience. He works with a host of clients in North East
England where his firm is based and throughout the UK and
Europe. Matt understands that people are working with their
true potential locked away. He shows how coaching provides
a simple yet elegant key to this lock. For a bumper load of
coaching tips and tricks - including FREE resources - visit
http://www.mattsomers.com

Signs Of A Good Leader

Signs Of A Good Leader
Many business owners brag about their workforce, how good a
job they do and how they work side-by-side with the
business owner, indicating that the owner must be a great
leader because every time they walk into the shop everyone
is hard at work. However, the sign of a good leader is not
how well everyone works when they are on the floor. Rather,
the sign of a good leader is how well their people function
when they are not around.

Ethics has often been defined as doing the right thing,
even when no one is looking and one of the signs of a good
leader is when their employee are doing the right thing,
even when the leader is not around and there is no threat
of them showing up unexpected. Their people understand what
the expectations are and what they must do to meet those
expectations. Knowing the consequences also helps, but it
is more important for the employees to want to do a good
job because it will be appreciated, than knowing doing a
lousy job will get them fired.

A good business leader sets the example for all of their
people and anyone performing any type of tasks for them.
Whether they are employees or others in a volunteer
organization, most people appreciate having someone they
can go to for the times they need help, but also someone
who trains them how to perform a specific function and then
leaves them alone and let them do what they were trained to
do.

Getting a group of employees to perform when they are not
around is one of the best examples of a good leader.
Managing by intimidation does not work, at least not for
very long and most managers using that technique will
quickly be replaced, especially after all of the workers
protest and walk off the job. For the business owner, this
technique will have them spending more time hiring
replacement workers than actually teaching anyone.

To many business owners, they honestly believe it will take
more time to train someone to do a job that it would take
them to do it themselves. They have all, at one time or
another, commented that they do not have the time to teach
someone, and that it is faster to just do it. While that
may be true in a short-sighted kind of way, be taking the
time to share their knowledge and then letting someone else
do the work, it frees up their time for them to do other
things.

If there is any secret to being a good business leader it
would be not to simply assign jobs and expect them to be
done. At the beginning of a project, they should gather
everyone together and form a plan to complete the project.
Specific steps with specific timelines to gauge progress
should be established. Once the plan has been finalized,
the leader walks away and lets the group get it done. If
they need help, he is there but if they are part of the
planning process they have a vested interest in seeing it
completed on time.

----------------------------------------------------
William Drapcho is owner of http://williamdrapcho.com and
writes on a variety of topics. To view his blog, go to
http://williamdrapcho and also sign up for his free home
computer business ideas newsletter.

Networking Made Easy: Tips for a Fast, Successful Job Search

Networking Made Easy: Tips for a Fast, Successful Job Search
You've heard it before: at least 80% of all the jobs are
found through the "hidden" job market, also known as the
"unpublished" job market. These are jobs typically landed
through word of mouth and referrals as opposed to the
hit-or-miss method of answering ads, posting your resume to
internet databases, or other techniques meant to target the
remaining 20% of all jobs in the published market.

It stands to reason that if the vast majority of the jobs
are to be found in this hidden market, that you should
spend the majority of your job search time working to crack
it. But, as you may have reasoned already, accessing the
hidden job market requires that you take charge of your
search, reaching out and building strategic relationships,
taking proactive initiative, and making yourself visible in
the right circles.

That's right. It requires that you use networking
strategies. And, the thought of networking leaves many
people feeling nervous and unsure. For an introverted or
shy person, the idea of networking can even cause serious
anxiety and fear.

What is networking exactly? If you believe, like many
people, that networking is simply approaching everyone you
know to ask for a job, it is no wonder you feel
uncomfortable! That isn't what networking is. True
networking is about building strategic relationships that
involve a win-win, reciprocal exchange of information,
support, and/or referrals.

When defined in this way, networking ceases to be so scary.
But, it also requires that you expand your view of
networking. No longer is networking just something you do
every now and then when you are conducting a job search;
building and strengthening your network is something that
you should be working at all the time. But, if you find
yourself facing an immediate job search, and your
networking skills are rusty, don't fret. Here are some tips
to get you moving.

1) When you first start out to build your network, it will
be helpful for you to think of networking as a research
project. Networking isn't just about the quantity of
contacts; it is about the quality. Don't be afraid to reach
out to decision-makers and people "in the know" within
companies and industries of interest to you. These are
quality contacts. Explain your career plans and ask them if
they would spend 15 minutes talking to you and answering
some questions. Most people will be flattered and say yes.
When you do get in front of them, NEVER ask for a job, but
DO ask for advice and referrals. These meetings are
traditionally known as informational interviews.

2) As mentioned above, your networking efforts should
emphasize building quality relationships. But, don't
discount the importance of quantity. As much as possible,
you should also expand your network. Friends, relatives,
people you went to college with, contacts you have made in
your community, doctors, the salespeople you come into
contact with...they are all part of your network. You won't
want to spend a large amount of time on this, but at least
make a comprehensive list and call or send a letter
reestablishing a connection, informing people of your
search, and asking for advice or referrals. Again, notice
that it isn't about asking for a job. Just ask for advice
and referrals.

3) Prepare, prepare, prepare for your networking
meetings—especially those that take the format of an
informational interview. Prepare lists of questions about
the company or the industry. Do your research so that you
know something about the person you are meeting with and
the company they work for (you might be amazed at what a
simple Google search will turn up). For some people, role
playing is helpful. If you are working with a career coach,
this is something they may be able to help with. But a
friend or close family member could also help you. There is
no better antidote for nervousness than being prepared. 4)
Getting out from behind your desk and making yourself
visible is crucial. Join and then take part in events held
by professional associations and other groups. Attend
workshops and trainings in your field or industry. Attend
job fairs to meet directly with hiring decision-makers.
Volunteer your career-related skills in your community. If
you are an expert at something, offer to speak on the topic
to various groups. Job searching can be a time of anxiety
and diminished self-confidence for many people, but don't
hide at home behind your computer. Get out and meet people.

5) Yes, I just told you not to hide behind your computer,
but the internet will play a role in any comprehensive
networking campaign. Creating and maintaining a blog on
your area of career expertise is an extraordinary way to
build your credibility and visibility. Social networking
sites like LinkedIn, MySpace, and FaceBook are increasingly
popular ways to expand your network. Consider writing
articles on industry and profession-related topics and then
offering them as free content to webmasters (make sure the
article is credited to you and includes a way to contact
you). You can also participate in online discussions on
topics related to your career focus. Just remember that you
shouldn't "hide" behind a fake name like many people do.
Your purpose is to expand your visibility and credibility,
so you must use your real name.

6) Finally, show your appreciation and follow up on every
single contact with a thank you note. True networking is
based on cultivating and nurturing long-term relationships,
so you should always be thinking of nice things you can do
to show your appreciation, or ways that you could return a
favor. Besides being common courtesy, your efforts in this
regard will pay you back by further strengthening your
relationships and helping to keep you visible.

Happy networking! Even if it feels a little uncomfortable
at first, just get out there and do it. Make networking a
part of your daily routine and plan to spend the majority
of your job search time on networking activities
(approximately three-fourths of your time is a good
estimate). The more you network, the faster your current
job search will come to a successful conclusion and the
faster and more successful any future job searches will be.

----------------------------------------------------
Nationally certified resume writer and career coach,
Michelle Dumas is the director of Distinctive Career
Services LLC. Through Distinctive Documents
http://www.distinctiveweb.com and her Executive VIP
Services http://www.100kcareermarketing.com

Michelle has
empowered thousands of professionals all across the U.S.
and worldwide. Michelle is also the author of Secrets of a
Successful Job Search http://www.job-search-secrets.com

The One Man Band Sabotages Your Client Communication

The One Man Band Sabotages Your Client Communication
Ever heard of the term "The One Man Band"? Well, I don't
know who this "man" is, but I can tell you that he will set
you up for failure.

If you look at most of the books out there on running a
small business, or becoming an independent sales
consultant, they're trying to make you a master of
everything. And, I think that is ridiculous. Because, if
you are doing both money generating, and non-money
generating business tasks, you will find that you are not
mastering anything. You're not an American Idol star,
you're really a One Man Band, a mediocre generalist, who is
probably over worked. And the only beat you hear, is your
head beating against the wall wondering why you can't
attract enough clients. Why do that?

I'm also seeing a major trend picking up speed in my
client's lives. Regardless of whether or not they're doing
well financially, more and more tension is popping up
between their professional and personal lives. They are
spending more precious business time handling non-money
generating details and activities. Adults are moving from
one personal crisis to the next. And, when I ask them, "So
what did you do this week to build your business", all I
hear is a deep, "Sigh....".

For a lot of self-employed professionals, things are
getting a lot complicated. Longer sales cycles, clients in
different time zones, global competition, never ending
technological changes and vanishing trade barriers have
created a new business model - the globally integrated
business. The new global business model didn't exist 20
years ago. Twenty years ago, work was a place you went to
and it was defined by time lines. We knew our competitors
well; frankly, we had dinner with our competitors and their
kids played sports together. If they weren't across town,
they weren't far and we could study them, speak their
language and understand their moves.

And, this new way of doing business leads to frustration
because on one end of the spectrum you have self-employed
professionals that are loosing business to overseas
competition and they are panicking; trying to save their
sinking ship without a plan. On the other side of the
spectrum you have businesses who are growing too fast. In
either case, there is no time to plan or reflect because
basically things are out of control.

So, from my experience, one of the number one reasons for
businesses failing during this time in history, is because
the business owners are spending time in their business,
instead of working on their business. And, not knowing the
distinction here, is costing you clients. Let me put it
this way: spending your business hours on something that
you can have done for you, for $30 - $40 per hour, just
doesn't make sense.

Look at these two activities and tell me which one makes
you more money: You could be spending time building a
high-trust relationship with a client and closing a sale,
or waiting on hold to figure out when a late shipment will
arrive. Here is another example: You could be talking to a
prospect to understand their immediate needs, or you could
be opening up the mail and reading it. John Dudek says it
better, "Take the stuff you do great and that have the
greatest impact, and do only those activities. Don't do
anything else." Well said John.

When you finish reading this article, I need for you to
make a list of the organizational tasks that you can pay
someone else to do for you. Consider hiring a virtual
assistant or high school student to help you recapture
those non-money making hours to be strategic, speak with
new clients, close more sales, make more money ' or
whatever you're really good at. Those hours are precious
and irreplaceable. If your time is worth $80 or $8,000 an
hour, it's just plain silly to spend several hours a day
doing something that you can delegate, or outsource for the
equivalent of $15, $20 or $40 an hour.

My final thought to leave you with is this: every time I
outsourced an activity, my income grew exponentially. I'm
not just talking about an incremental increase in revenue,
but a catapult to a higher profit margin. If you feel like
you are becoming a human 'doer' instead of a human 'being',
then you need support from a team that you can outsource
work to.

----------------------------------------------------
Kim Schott, your Global Client Communication Expert, is the
author of the Keys to Client Communication System™,
the step-by-step, paint by numbers client communication
program to attract more clients in less time. To receive
your weekly how-to articles on consistantly attracting more
local and global clients in less time, visit
http://www.SchottCulturalConsulting.com

Sustaining Strategic Momentum

Sustaining Strategic Momentum
Sustaining strategic momentum is a leadership function. In
our last two-part article, Essentials for Successfully
Implementing Your Strategic Plan, we mentioned what leaders
do.

"Leaders have a vision. They build a small group of people
who share that vision. They have the ability to articulate
that vision and to build buy-in from others. Then they
implement the vision and the small group of people they
have gathered can move mountains and make many, many things
happen in an organization."

Your most important role as leader of an organization is
strategy. The best way to sustain the momentum you created
by following the guidelines of the Essentials for
Successfully Implementing Your Strategic Plan is to
continue to deploy the small group of people who share the
vision and are engaged in helping you implement it. If they
have taken their leadership role seriously, they will have
engaged a group of people who share the vision and who are
energized to implement the strategies needed to reach that
vision. So the amount of strategic momentum you can attain
will be directly proportionate to the amount of energy and
attention to strategy that is applied by those key
individuals who share the strategic vision.

Think of this group of key individuals who share the
strategic vision as strategic channels throughout the
organization. Those who share your passion should be kept
in the know about what's going on strategically, how it
affects them, and how it affects the people they work with.
Your role in this effort is to be constantly in front,
leading the way. As we said in the last article, you can't
over-communicate the vision; neither can you
over-communicate the strategy you are employing to achieve
the vision.

The biggest enemy of strategic momentum is distraction.
Early in my change management career, one of my mentors
taught me that leaders need to be relentless and boring in
communicating their vision and strategic direction. It is
critical that you stay on track and focused because your
ability to stay focused and keep your team focused will
directly impact the amount and quality of the results you
achieve.

According to Edgar Schein, in his book, Organizational
Culture andLeadership, what you focus on as a leader is
what the people you lead will focus on. Let us say, for
example, you have written your plan, outlined your
strategies, started building momentum, and the corporate
office sends you a new program that is strategic at a
higher level which you are expected to implement or you
encounter a barrier you didn't anticipate in executing your
defined strategy. This is a monumental strategic leadership
opportunity for you. This is the time to bring your
strategy team together. If the potential distraction is a
program in support of higher level corporate strategy, your
task is to evaluate the new program and look for ways the
new program or process integrates with your strategy. If
applicable, incorporate it with one of your existing
strategic initiatives or develop and implement an
initiative to integrate the new process or program into
your strategic plan. If the potential distraction is an
unexpected barrier, bring your strategic team back together
to devise a strategy to either overcome or circumvent the
strategy. Then deploy people and resources in the same
manner as you are implementing the rest of your strategic
plan. It is now part of your strategic plan and you can
lead accordingly.

As your strategic leaders work with the strategic
initiatives, there are some questions they should be asking
at all levels of the organization:
1. How will this support our vision of the future?
2. How closely does what we are doing or planning to do fit
our strategy?
3. Is this the most efficient and effective way to reach
our strategic goal(s)?
4. Are we leveraging our strengths and organizational
capabilities to have the greatest impact on strategic
achievement?
5. Is this a temporary support to help us implement change
and/or is it designed to become a permanent part of our
strategic direction? If it is temporary, how will we
determine when it has served its purpose? If it is designed
to be permanent, how does it integrate with other systems
and/or processes to complete the vision?

As the leader with the vision for the future, it is your
role within the organization to step out and build and
maintain the momentum to implement the strategies that will
achieve the vision. You must communicate ' in fact, you
must over-communicate — the vision and the strategies to
the point of boredom to every level of the organization to
maintain focus, to incorporate new strategic goals and
modifications necessary to keep all eyes on the vision and
to keep everyone working with energy and enthusiasm toward
achieving the vision. By having your strategic leadership
team consistently and constantly asking questions that keep
the focus of all in the organization on the vision your
organization can build and maintain the momentum that will
result in strategic success.

----------------------------------------------------
About Gayla Hodges
Gayla Hodges is the President Change Agents, Inc., a
company that specializes in energizing workforces to
achieve strategic goals. She coaches executives and
managers on leading corporate change, facilitating the
development and implementation of organizational
effectiveness strategies. For more information, visit
http://www.changeagentsinc.com or call 623-362-3876.

Increasing Sales Results through Appropriate Behaviour

Increasing Sales Results through Appropriate Behaviour
You can have a fantastic attitude, but a positive attitude
alone is not enough to guarantee long term success. You
need goals and an action plan to get where you want to go.
The 'B' stands for behaviour in the ABC, 123 Sales Results
System.

Behaviour is the manner in which you conduct yourself. It
is the way you behave, the way you act, function or react.
The 1, 2, 3's are the goals and behaviours from a personal,
organisational, and market targeting level. Without goals
there is no reason to act, no motivation to take daily
actions or go the extra mile.

1. Appropriate behaviour drives opportunities.
Opportunities come from setting goals. What do you want out
of life or out of your business? Who could determine this
for you and who can make it happen? What are the daily
behaviours that you must apply to live the life of your
dreams?

2. It is those daily behaviours, and when you implement
them, that will make a big difference in your level of
business or sales success. For example, as salespeople we
need to be constantly networking, calling on prospects,
presenting ideas to them, helping them make decisions and
following up with them. When is the best time to be
conducting these behaviours? Naturally, it is when the
client is available. So, let's refer to these behaviours as
"pay time" behaviours - those behaviours that lead us to
the accomplishment of our business goals or sales quotas.
What are the pay time behaviours that you need to conduct
on a daily basis to meet your goals and when do you conduct
them?

Now we all know that business and sales is about more than
being in front of customers. In all professions we need
time for internal communications, training, paperwork and
other forms of administration. These are activities or
behaviours that are necessary but do not directly provide
us with revenue and direct results. Let's refer to these
behaviours as "no-pay time" behaviours.

When we look at our week, each day we must plan and
determine time slots for both types of behaviours, pay time
and no-pay time. What are the best times of the day for you
to be in front of customers and clients or to be contacting
them? What are the worst times? It is during these worst
times that you should be conducting no pay time behaviours.
Once you identify these behaviours and times and stick to
them, watch your time management skills and results improve
dramatically.

3. What about your market? Does 80 per cent of your
business come from 20 per cent of your customers? If so,
what does your 20 per cent look like? Can you clearly
define them? Now, where should you be spending your time? I
have found that in sales it takes more time to sell smaller
accounts that produce less revenue than selling large
accounts that produce more revenue. If you take the time to
define your absolute, beneficial and convenient (A,B,C)
criteria you will have a better handle on who you should be
targeting, that is if you want a maximum return on your
investment in time.

The Bottom Line! Behaviour is the manner in which you
conduct yourself. Businesses today cannot succeed without
appropriate sale behaviour. Without appropriate sales
behaviour there would be no transactions. Without
transactions there is no revenue. Without revenue, there is
no business, no jobs, no bottom line. Sales, and your
behaviour, is the bottom line!

----------------------------------------------------
Bob Urichuck is an International Speaker, Trainer and
Best-Selling Author. Learn personally from Bob in the areas
of Sales, Motivation, Leadership and Team Skills. Bob
presents a series of great ideas and strategies with
combination of facts, humor, and practical concept in a
high-energy and self-discovery process that you can apply
right away to achieve results. Subscribe to Bob's Free
Newsletter, worth $297, visit http://www.BobU.com Now!

The Insecure Manager and the Bomb He is Likely to Toss

The Insecure Manager and the Bomb He is Likely to Toss
Everybody's got their insecurities, but when your boss is
insecure, his insecurities rule the day and your career
prospects, too. You'll never know what to expect of him,
rest assured, his actions are chosen to make him feel
better, even at your expense. Jeanne Sahadi of CNNMoney.com
says that, in the best of cases, you learn to contort your
actions to soothe the boss's quivering sense of self. In
the worst case you are perceived as a threat, and you are
fired. Your abilities, popularity, and communication skills
can surprisingly drive your boss up the tree. He will
schedule his meeting around your travel schedule, take
credit for your work, and eventually convince his boss to
get rid of you, even though you are a top performer. He
will try to throw you under the bus at every turn. He will
try to make you unsuccessful by impossible assignments and
take credit for your earlier accomplishments. Driven by
fear, envy, and self doubt, a boss's insecurities can be
manifested by:

Micromanaging - They turn to perfectionism, meddling, and
clogging up the work flow;

Indecisiveness - They may hesitate to remove poor
performers and drag down good workers;

Hide and seek - He avoids giving the team a sense of
purpose and hides in his office;

No direction - Prior instructions are reversed with chaotic
consequences;

Overcompensating - The insecure resort to bullying,
arrogance, and power games.

On the positive side - Since you can't choose your bosses,
chances are that you will have one or two insecure cases in
your career. As a rule, don't take credit for his
accomplishments, and never make the boss look stupid. Don't
take his screaming personally [easy to say]. Acknowledge
his accomplishments; we all have our good days. Let him
know that you like your job, and you want to know how to do
a better job for him.

If you are an insecure manager, think again before you gut
the organization of top performers. Eventually you will
lose, and you will have to face the consequences. The stuff
you let fly in your department will come back to haunt you.

If you are on the top rungs of the ladder, you can do
yourself a favor by removing the insecure types, who will
ruin your company if you let them. Better to listen to the
opposition and know the real situation facing the company
rather than letting all the good people leave the company
and go to the competition.

Managing Smart People - Everyone has talents, some much
more than others. They have their good points, and they
have their weak points. Your challenge is to choose people
that not only show some accomplishment in the past but an
ability to adapt to new challenges in the future. A person
who has scored well in new unrelated assignments in the
past shows this adaptability. Your job is to make stars out
of people with potential. Those who can't meet this
criterion need to be sidetracked.

It's good for your reputation to be seen as helping new
stars rise. You will win acclaim for this accomplishment.
If there is any ambiguity of who takes the credit, yield to
your talented crew. Ask them what they need to accomplish
their mission. This is in the best sense of empowerment,
and it delivers a strong message of respect. It causes your
people to step up and fully invest themselves in the job.

This is not for the insecure manager. He may start off OK,
but when anything about them comes into question, they get
defensive, retreat back into their authority, and end all
discussions. It's a form of denial; managers need to accept
feedback on how the mission is going.

The secure manager will inquire how an employee wants to be
managed. At this point the manager just listens and keeps
quiet. This procedure applies to reorganization, taking
over a new team, and other turning points. The more
assertive employee may initiate discussion on something you
never thought about, and it can dramatically improve your
abilities to manage. Your people will give you better
feedback on management than your boss. It enhances your
role of bringing out the best of your people to doing their
best work.

Respect your people's talents that you do not have. Brief
outside consultation can shed light on how to enhance the
strengths of your organization:

- Acknowledge that you have weaknesses;

- Admit that your shortcoming can hurt the product or
website and the team itself;

- Get help hiring experts for roles you are not familiar
with, and go out of your way to involve them in the
decision making process.

- Deliberately hire first rate strong willed persons to
represent specialties that you may tend to undervalue;

- Force yourself to be on top of the game, and make sure it
is not bias that drives you, but good judgment refined by
divergent perspectives.

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For more management and leadership articles, please visit
http://www.CrassCaptain.com . Find Christine-Casey-Cooper's
new book, entitled The Crass Captain's Guide to
Organizational Dysfunction, on Amazon soon.