[ The Opportunist ] by Niger Lim

DiGi.Com Bhd CEO Morten Lundal gives a reminder of some basic management concepts that are often not practised.

MANAGEMENT as a profession is a relatively new phenomenon; at least this is true for business management. In relation to established notions like “the nation” or “the family” or “the school”, it’s just at an infant stage.

Current management thinking is surrounded by all kinds of strong beliefs which we assume are normal. This could be because we don’t know better or we haven’t made an effort to increase our awareness beyond the natural stage.

In addition to being new, management is actually a serious thing. It is not purely in leading the pursuit of value creation but really in affecting the quality of life of many human beings working in this very modern and imperfect framework called a “business organisation”. And I will claim that most managers or perhaps all of us, are exercising management with a very narrow and immature mindset.

So, I will attempt something absolutely hopeless. I will, in the space of this short column, go through some painfully basic management concepts and see whether they need to be revitalised.

Ninety-seven percent of you will read and say, “Ah, this is so basic and I know this stuff.” But maybe three out of 100 (and I’m writing for you guys) will stop for a second and think, “Well, of course I know this, but when I think about it?”.

I’m going to call this (a bit ironically) 10 basic basics of management:

·Set clear expectations. Employee surveys often cite lack of clear expectations as the prime reason for lack of motivation.

Many managers hesitate to be too clear in setting expectations and over-elaborate human resource systems just add more barriers, not support. Do it simple, do it often, but do it.

·Give frequent feedback. When your bosses don’t give you frequent and honest feedback, they are either ignoring their responsibility or they have given up on you, neither of which is very good.

Annual feedback sessions are so archaic; it should rather be frequent, relevant and constructive. Personal development creates motivation and quality feedback is a large part of how we develop.

l Be generous. Narrow-minded and stingy people are everywhere, including in business management. It is just that they influence so many people when they also are decision-makers. I think all of us need an occasional self-reminder to let the inconsequential imperfections just flow by without too much fanfare and to take on slightly over-large glasses when you are assessing what’s good and bad.

A generous environment spurs motivation, stinginess just does not. I feel this personally. If a management is stingy towards me, I’m stingy in return. If a management is generous towards me, I’m generous back. Simple but powerful psychology basics.

·Be supportive. As a manager you are put in place not just to direct but to support. Think about it: as a manager you don’t sell or produce very much, but you give direction to those who do. But the manager has been given a privileged role that entails certain powers.

Use that power to support your people. Try it today. No, not tomorrow. Right now. Walk over to your subordinates and ask them for three things you can do to help them in their ambition. You might be surprised.

·Don’t get too involved. You might think you are better than “they” are in solving a certain problem, but “they” will never evolve if you keep doing it for them. True for parents, true for managers.

·Develop your people. Best practice would be a conscious, continuous, constructive habit of trying to develop yourself as a self-aware manager, whilst also developing your subordinates further on their personal progress. This might be best practice, but I don’t think it is general practice and it should be.

·Lead happy meetings. Just because it’s a professional and serious meeting, it doesn’t need to be boring. Yes, the meeting chair has a responsibility to focus the meeting and to drive it to a clear end result, but also to do it in a way that creates involvement, engagement and commitment. A meeting should not draw energy but create energy.

·Focus on results, not activities. Oh so simple, oh so hard. If managers (and boards of directors) focused more on the results, and less on their subordinates’ process and activities (and number of hours?), business life would be a better place for all.

l Be open minded, never defensive. Defensiveness creates office politics and silos and the silent strangling of opposing viewpoints.

Top managers must be open-minded in practice, seek new viewpoints, change their own viewpoints, when called for, and never see a personal attack in a professional argument.

·Walk the walk, talk the talk. Yes, the organisation is hearing what you are saying (so clear and engaging communication is key), but they are watching even more what you are doing as a manager.

And even the smallest action becomes a symbol for how “they” perceive “you” as actually being, versus how you would like ideally to be perceived.

Both the smallest and largest leaders need to be aware not only of their talk but also their walk.

If you are not in business, looking at this list, you might say, “Hey, this is just common sense.” You’re right, it is. But if you are in a company, and you look at your bosses and their bosses, are they really adhering to it?

Are you? If yes, fine … good that it’s being done because it is really just basic common sense and decency.

But you may be one of the many who are subjected to unaware or dysfunctional management.

Maybe it’s time for revisiting and revitalising the basics of management again.

Management might be an immature science, but that should not be an excuse, just an inspiration.

ref: http://biz.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2008/3/17/business/20641272&sec=business