by Amaryllis Holloway-Turman

Created on: February 10, 2009

I am not in mangement, but being in the corporate world has allowed me to observe many different types of managers. I know that managers are responsible for making sure that the business operates smoothly. They are charged with the task of leading the company's most valuable resources: the employees. There are some things that every manager should know so that they can effectively lead those who report to them.

Good ideas do not always come from the top

A person's education level does not equal more intelligence or brain capacity. It is true that higher education is a plus. But there are people who have Master's Degrees but are not capable of grasping the concepts needed to operate the business. On the other hand, there are people who only have a high school diploma that have been able to use common sense to understand what needs to happen to make important business decisions.If a manager listens with the same importance to the opinions or suggestions of those who are not as educated, he might pass over an idea that could increase company productivity.

A "YES" man is useless

People who agree with everything that the manager says are not thinking for themselves. It is true when the manager makes a decision, everyone has to work together to make that decision a success. But in the time leading up to that decision, a good manager will get input from those who report to him. If the people that report to him always agree with whatever he says, there is no way to determine if his potential decision is the best option. Usually there are one or two people in the department that bring up the negative of any course of action. The person in the department that seems to be the most disagreeable might have some good ideas. When a direct report does not agree with management's decision does not mean that he or she is wrong. There could be more than one answer to the problem. In some cases, the manager might have made an error in judgment. It is imperative that the manager listens to the suggestions and comments from all direct reports to make sure that all avenues have been examined. It can be disastrous and very costly when a manager makes a decision based on his own myopic view of the situation. In the end, it is the people reporting to him that suffer the most.

Culture changes starts with management

All change begins at the top and filters down. If top management does not fully endorse the changes, no real change can be made. For example, a company can talk about saving money. But the top management continues to justify elaborate, expensive retreat staff meetings; no one in the company is really going to believe that they are serious about cost cutting. If top management wants all their employees to take a certain training seriously, they need to be the first to take that training. Top management cannot give their verbal support while their actions contradict their assertions.

I am not an expert by any means, but I think that it is important for managers to keep these things in mind. It will help them to effectively engage the people that report to them. When that happens, colleagues are more productive. That benefits the company all around.

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