(part I) how can I be a good manager who people want to follow ?

Question

I am in management trainee and dealing a lot with recruiting, and leading team. I have some difficulty in dealing with people as they have different in character. How can i improve myself or what skill I should focus in order to attract them to "follow", "like", "motivated", "die" for me ? I have tried to be "strict" type once, and now i change to "soft" type, and still figuring what is the best style especially to attract strong and dedicated sales team.

Answer 1

A manager should be knowledgeable about what his group does. That does not be an expert in every detail, but understands the processes that the group is responsible for. A manager should be knowledgeable about all of the people in the group, their strengths and weaknesses. A good manager will provide the means for individuals to improve their weaknesses.

A manager should be goal oriented. He should be able to communicate that goal to everyone in the group and have them understand how they contribute to reaching that goal. He should also challenge each individual to define and reach their own individual goals within the group.

A manager must also determine the best way to utilize his resources (people and tools) to efficiently reach goals. Maintaining a respectful relationship with all team members is key. As is resolving any interpersonal problems that will inevitably arise at some time or other.

Good communication skills and being fair to everyone will make managing a group easier. Everyone should know the standards expected of them. Firmly enforcing those standards with everyone while being flexible regarding individual circumstances will reflect well on the manager.

Answer 2

When you are working for someone what do you like about them? Do you like someone who is in some way trying to make you like them, fear them, die for them?? No. Try the "be real" approach. Don't take any crap from people but be understanding to their needs. Don't make many promises unless you know you can keep them; the worst thing you can do is break a promise with an employee.

In all team based cases, people will follow IF you lead. So be assertive, not agressive, and show your team that you have what it takes to get them through anything.

Answer 3

Maybe you need to work on your versatility.
Being strict might be a good approach for some, while soft will work for others. Know the strengths of your workers and their weaknesses too. Be willing to be tolerant of error, yet strong enough to teach them how to improve. Be willing to learn from subordinates. Find ways to praise a job done well.
In recruiting personnel, look at letters of reference and speak directly to that individual. Look for words like diligent, outgoing, hardworking, thorough, reliable, dependable.
Good luck!

Answer 4

okay i work in an environment with alot of managers over me (wal-mart) and the worst thing i could really think of if being the strick kind. If there is more than one manager where you work make sure you get together with them and discuss what the days plans are, because when you get like 5 or 6 different managers telling you different things that you need to get done it's really stressful on the employee. Make sure you are "average" just like the employees. Don't treat them like your better than they are. Never chew them out in front of other employees. Most of all keep the job fun.

Answer 5

Primarily, most individuals want to be led, yet they want to consider it being "guided", which allows them to preserve the illusion of autonomy, which is essential to their personal self-esteem. As a manager, your primary concern is results, so this little deception is excusable.
In all relations with subordinates, treat them like professional and mature adults; this will encourage them to behave in that way.
If there are individuals who are unable to respond properly, and thus require an inordinate amount of supervision, get rid of them.
This is vitally important: Quality subordinates will be pleased that the bad element have been removed, and gain respect for you as a manager. Respect is essential to leadership, and must be earned by showing respect for the subordinate. Retaining ineffective workers shows disrespect for the other individuals who must work along side them.
Essentially you want your team to fulfil their function with as little input as possible, freeing you to perform duties suited to management. There are few examples of wastage greater than highly paid managers spending large amounts of time in checking on the routine progress of low-level operations.

Make decisions as rapidly as possible: it can be better to act than to equivocate: often errors are forgiven but inactions rarely so.

Make sure a good team is recognized, and that they work well together, with yourself as the leader.

Always remember that the manager is responsible for his staff's actions (or inactions) so be sure that it is understood that you are the umbrella that keeps them out of the rain.

Follow these precepts and you should be able to build respect, and with that will come a sense of team dynamics.

Hope this helps.

Answer 6

Treat them the way you want to be treated...fairly, honestly, with respect...but don't let them get away with murder. If they see you are a team player and a hard worker then they will be willing to give more effort. If they feel you are a person who will pass the buck and have someone else do the hard work then it you lose respect. Tell people when they are doing a good job.

Answer 7

There is a saying that goes, people must know that you care before they care what you know. In order to be good manager of people, I believe you must be a genuine person who:
1. demonstrates to others your knowledge of the job you are doing, 2. that you realize it takes more than one to accomplish that job, 3. you are willing to do whatever you ask another to do, and 4. you are organized and capable of leading others. Others are willing to follow when they know the person that is leading has their best interests at heart, and that person knows where and how to lead.

Answer 8

u r on right path...try different approaches as u r anways at learning stage. Management to some come naturally... to others they have to learn through experience.
Talk what wud make sense to the listener. Try to know your team's personally. Talk to them about different stuff to know how they think and what are there perceptions. Give personalized treatment to everyone. When addressing many together.. be professional, simple and goal oriented.

Answer 9

You need to be in the middle of soft and strict.

You need to know when to bend, but when to dig your heels in. Be willing to compromise if possible, but adament when it isn't.

You must be fair, unpartial, unbiased. Give constructive criticism, don't tear them down. "You are really great with _________, but I think if you could handle ________ just as efficiently you would get a lot more done". (or something like that).

Ask how you can help them. Set deadlines and goals and utilitze recognition and reward. If they know you appreciate what they do, they will be more willing to work harder or get things done faster.

Answer 10

neither one of those approaches will work. If your to strict people will dislike you and not want to work for you. If your soft people will not respect you. You have to be fair all around and motivate the people to want to be there and to want to work for you.