Tag Archives: management

The Top Ten Sins Mosr Managers Make and How To Avoid Them

brian smith-pld, Coaching, Dealing with Difficult People, Entrepreneurship, Leadership Development, Management, Management Training, Mentorship, Personal Development, Professional development, Reformed Control Freak, Self-Help, small business owner, Soft-Skills Training, Teacher, Uncategorized • Tags: , , , ,

We all start our management careers by making certain assumptions based on our perception of what a manager or leader should be, but we know our assumptions can be wrong. And I’m no exception. I’ve committed each one of these top ten sins at one time or another in my 40-plus-year career as general manager of a major retailer, an award-winning entrepreneur and a college professor. You can decide what kind of manager or leader you want to be. I hope you don’t make the same mistakes I did.

1 – There is no such thing as common sense. Don’t rely on common sense as part of your training program. If you haven’t taught someone how to complete a task the way you want it done, don’t assume they know how. Common sense is not common practice.

2 – You can’t motivate people. You can’t motivate people to do anything they don’t want to do. However, you can create an environment where they want to motivate themselves. If you know what they want and help them get theirs, more than likely, you’ll get yours.

3 – You ruin good people by promoting them. Just because someone is good at what they do, it doesn’t mean they will be good at doing something else. Not everyone has what it takes to manage or lead others. Promote someone who likes to work with and hang around with people. They must be teachers first and technically competent second.

4 – You don’t have to know everything. Admitting you don’t have all the answers is ok. What’s important is you know where to go to get them. Always be honest and upfront with your people. Don’t make shit up.

5 – You’re not the most important person in the conversation. Communication is everything. If the other person doesn’t receive the message as intended, then whatever you say will mean absolutely nothing. Ask open-ended questions to make sure they understand what you said.

6 – Park your ego at the door; it’s not about being right. We both know there are several ways to complete the task. It doesn’t have to be just your way. Solicit their import and build collaborative teams. The more you involve them in the process, the more likely they will want to come along.

7 – You can’t control everything all of the time. Your job as a manager or leader to teach someone what they need to know. You aren’t doing that if you aren’t sharing some of your responsibilities with the people around you. Resist the urge to micromanage them. If you don’t delegate, you rob them of their growth opportunities.

8 – You can’t demand respect; respect is reciprocal. You’ve got to give it to get it. Gaining someone’s respect is a three-step process. The first step is establishing rapport and then developing a relationship that will eventually lead to mutual respect. They won’t trust anyone they don’t respect first.

9 – People hear what they see, not what you say. You must lead by example. It’s not what you say that’s important. It’s how you go about doing it that matters most. If you look and act like one, people will believe you’re a pro.

10 – There aren’t any negatives; everything is positive. Your attitude and how you react to any situation are the only thing you can control 100 percent of the time. Bad things will happen. You need to learn the lesson and move forward. People want to follow winners, not whiners.

Copyright 2024. Brian Smith – Power Link Dynamics. Not to be reproduced without permission. Are you searching for a keynote speaker for your next event or planning an in-house training session. Brian works with people who want to learn how to communicate and interact more effectively, build collaborative teams or resolve conflict. To learn more about Brian and what he can do for you and your organization, visit his website. https;//briansmithpld.com.

Four Leadership Skills That Will Drive Team Performance

brian smith-pld, Coaching, Entrepreneurship, Leadership Development, Management, Management Training, Mentorship, Personal Development, Professional development, Reformed Control Freak, Self-Help, small business owner, Soft-Skills Training, Teacher, Uncategorized • Tags: , , , ,

Whether you are in a management position or want to be promoted into a leadership role in your organization, the challenges remain the same. New leadership skills are required for an ever-changing, multi-generational, diverse workplace. Today’s new crop of potential managers and leaders must have exceptional people skills and master the ability to connect with others to build collaborative teams, communicate in a way that everyone will understand, educate them on what they need to know, and help others grow by delegating often.

Worth Remembering – If you want to build a ship, don’t drum up people to collect wood and don’t design tasks that work for them; instead, teach them to long for the immensity of the sea. – Antoine de Saint-Exupery.

Connecting. Exceptional managers and leaders can make an emotional connection. They understand that if you can’t make an emotional connection, you stand little chance of capturing their heads, hearts, and hands. Your success and the success of your organization hinge on your ability to bring people together and build a collaborative team.

Communicating. Exceptional managers and leaders know that communication is everything. They realize that they are not the most important person in the conversation. If you can’t send the message in a way that everyone will understand, then whatever you say will mean absolutely nothing. You need to get everyone on the same page.

Educating. Exceptional managers and leaders can teach others what they need to know to complete the task and reach individual and team goals. They understand that not everyone learns the same way. The key to teaching someone is to find out how they like to learn and teach them in their preferred style.

Delegating. Exceptional managers and leaders understand that they can’t do it alone. They understand that you must give up control to get control. They know that if they don’t delegate some of their responsibility to those around them, they rob them of their opportunity to grow. Successful managers and leaders resist the urge to micromanage.

Worth Remembering – To each, there comes a moment when they are offered a chance that’s fitted to their talents. What a tragedy if, at that moment, finds them prepared or unqualified. – Sir Winston Churchill.

Are you looking to become an exceptional manager or leader? Develop these four skills. Learn to connect with others, communicate in a way your team likes, educate them on what they need to know and grow your people by delegating often.

Copyright 2024. Brian Smith – Power Link Dynamics. Not to be reproduced without permission. This article was written without AI Assistance. Brian specializes in helping others communicate and interact more effectively, resolve conflict, build collaborative teams and motivate others to perform at their best. Brian’s programs can be delivered virtually, online or in person, including one-on-one coaching.

But We’ve Always Done It This Way Isn’t An Option

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But we’ve always done it this way. How many times have you heard someone say that famous line? You’ve properly heard it so many times that you’ve lost count. Just because you’ve always done it that way – doesn’t necessarily mean you should keep doing it that way. In today’s fast-paced business environment, you’ll be left behind if you don’t keep pace with all those changes swirling around you. Change is constant – how you and your team adapt is optional. You need to get on board so you don’t get left behind when the train leaves the station.

Worth Remembering – The secret of change is to focus all of your energy not on fighting the old but on building the new. – Socrates.

If you could implement changes, what would you want to stop doing, keep doing or start doing?

Stop Doing – When was the last time you reviewed your processes. Why do you do what you do, and how do you do it. Are they value-added or no longer serving you? Ask everyone on your team and solicit their input.

Keep Doing – When was the last time you reviewed your processes to ensure that what you are doing is still getting the results worth getting. Are they value-added or no longer serving you? Ask everyone on your team and solicit their input.

Start Doing – When was the last time you reviewed your processes to find a better, more efficient, cost-effective way of doing what you’re doing. Are there new technologies that other organizations use that add value and will serve you better? In my college professor days, I called those best practices.

Worth Remembering – An organization’s ability to learn and rapidly translate that learning into action is the ultimate competitive advantage. – Jack Welch.

The business environment is constantly changing. Technology is changing. Team members change. Management changes. Leadership changes. Ownership changes and organizations need to change, too. The problem isn’t change because change will happen with or without you. The problem is our inability to cope with those changes. You and your team must adapt and change with the times. You must get on board, or you will be left at the station when the train pulls away. But we’ve always done it this way isn’t an option.

Copyright 2024. Brian Smith – Power Link Dynamics. Brian Smith wrote this article without AI assistance. Not to be reproduced without permission.

Call To Action – We all manage change differently. Inquire about our DISC Strategies training program to help yourself or your team adapt to the change. Contact Brian to learn how.

How To Lead Your Team Through Change

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Change is often inevitable when changes are made under new management, mergers, hostile takeovers or acquisitions. Change can be disruptive. Some people adapt well to change – some tolerate it – while others dislike it and try to ignore it or hide their heads in the sand. The announcement that changes are going to take place is the easy part; it makes your organization look bold and forward-thinking. However, implementing those changes is complicated because no matter the reasons for making those changes, there will always be resentment and resistance, especially when the changes require a new way of working or painful budget cuts.

‘Every change forces all companies in an industry to adapt their strategies to that change.” – Bill Gates.

We adopt a particular style – a particular way of behaving at a very young age which heavily influences how we react to change. Having everyone on your team score a DISC Behavioural Assessment may give you valuable insight into how each team member might react to those changes. You can use that understanding to make the transition smoother and help lead your team through change.

Here are some general characteristics of each DISC style based on Dr. William Marston’s research.

D – Dominant. They may resist change if it threatens their authority and might become aggressive and demanding when faced with uncertainty. To help D cope with change, provide clear direction and feedback and recognize their ability to lead others.

I – Interpersonal. They may resist change if it disrupts their relationships or routines and may become emotional and opinionated when faced with stress or conflict. To help I cope with change, provide support and empathy and address their concerns.

S – Steadiness. They may resist change if it challenges their logic and security and may become cautious and rigid and resist new ideas for fear of failure. To help S cope with change, explain the reasons behind those changes and how they will benefit them and the team, and offer your support.

C – Conscientious. They may resist change if it goes against their standards and values and may become pessimistic and distant when faced with failure or disappointment. To help C cope with change, acknowledge the difficulties and offer guidance and resources.

‘Your success in life isn’t based on your ability to simply change. It is based on your ability to change faster than your competition, customers and business.’ – Mark Sanborn.

Remember, these are just general tendencies; not everyone on your team will fit into one neat little package. We are a blend of all four DISC styles and may react differently depending on the situation. The best way to lead your team through change is to be open-minded, flexible and communicative and understand how each person handles change.

Copyright 2023. Brian Smith – Power Link Dynamics. Not to be reproduced without permission. To learn more about DISC and how it can help you manage and lead others more effectively, contact Brian at – brian@briansmithpld.com. or visit – https;//briansmithpld.com.