There's a management position opening in the company. It's the third time you've had to fill this position in the last 18 months. You've promoted people who are experts in the technical aspects of the job and were good workers but they just haven't been able to take on the new responsibilities. Why can't you find the right people to fill these positions?
Finding the right people to move into management positions involves more than just seeking out technical capability. Look for someone who is able to see beyond their own limited area of expertise and understand how they fit into the bigger company picture.
To succeed, your management candidate needs to have some basic traits. Here are five of those traits to look for in addition to technical expertise, when considering promoting someone to a management position.
1. Does the candidate have unquestioned integrity? Promoting someone you can't trust is dangerous and you'll spend a significant amount of time watching what they do. No matter what other qualities the candidate may possess, if he or she doesn't have integrity, they will be trouble.
2. How does your candidate relate with his or her co-workers? You're not looking for the most popular person in the room, in fact that can be a negative sign because a person who is always popular may not have the organization's best interest at heart. The ideal candidate is respected by the majority of co-workers. But, more importantly, he or she treats all co-workers with respect. This is a difficult test but a worker who doesn't treat others well will not be as effective a manager as one who does.
3. Does your candidate display an eagerness to learn new things? This doesn't mean a person who is just willing to learn when tasked with something new, but is constantly seeking out new information and stretching to gain more knowledge. This is a critical trait for your new manager. There will be a lot to learn in the new job.
4. Do your candidate's co-workers naturally follow him or her? This can be a two-edged sword. Someone to whom people naturally gravitate can become a great leader, but they sometimes require a little more training and supervision specifically because of this natural ability. Sometimes called "born-leaders" they are usually charismatic and can often get their way without much regard to how others, especially those higher in the supervisory chain, feel about what they're doing. If your candidate seems to have this ability, that may be okay, but you will have to make sure they stay in bounds.
5. How does your candidate relate to authority? Ideally, you're looking for someone who respects authority and yet isn't afraid to present thoughtful suggestions and opposing views. It's important for your new manager to be able to interact with authority figures in a confident, yet respectful manner.
If you can give positive answers to these five questions, then you've probably found a good candidate for the next management position.
Leading for Dollar$!
Excerpts from the introductory leadership course that will develop energized leaders, engaged employees, and more profits.
Successful Communicating
Imagine going through a day without communicating. If you live alone, it's probably possible until you step outside. As you're driving to work, your turn signal and brake lights communicate your intentions to other drivers. That guy that cut you off a few blocks back communicated that he felt his time is more important than yours. Your gestured reply communicated that you didn't agree. That "good morning" to your team members may have communicated your current demeanor, whether you meant to or not.
You can't go through life without communicating. As a leader you need to understand that you are always communicating and be aware of what you're saying, even when you aren't talking. In your job, you'll communicate with three levels of people: bosses, peers, and subordinates. It may come as a surprise, but there should not be a big difference in how you communicate to any of these groups.
Your communication should always be concise, and professional, whether using written or spoken words. Few people have the time or patience for long drawn-out communication. You must learn to state your case in a concise manner. That doesn't mean all good communication is short or that you should leave out important details. You should omit things that are not important and that don't support your point. Some reports are quite lengthy and complex, but they contain no useless or irrelevant information. The same applies to speaking. Everyone appreciates brevity.
Communicating in a professional manner means sticking to the subject at hand, saying what you know and clearly identifying statements that are speculative or for which you are unsure. To do otherwise will quickly destroy your credibility and your effectiveness as a leader. Once people at any level determine you don't really know what you're talking about, they will no longer listen. Professional communication uses proper grammar and is free of inappropriate slang. In today's age of email and social networking it has become common to use abbreviated text, truncated sentences, and bad grammar. That may be fine in your social life, but is inappropriate in a professional setting.
Here are some techniques for effective verbal communication.
1. Be clear about what you want to communicate. Your thinking should always be a little ahead of your speaking. Once the words leave your mouth, they cannot be called back so make sure what you say is what you intend to say.
2. Don't make your message seem like a personal attack. Try to see what you're going to say from the listener's point of view. What may seem harmless to you might be seen as an attack to them.
3. Always start and end on a positive note. Instead of "Your paperwork is getting sloppy," try "You've always done great paperwork. Lately though, I have noticed it isn't up to your normal standards."
4. Keep your voice even. Too many discussions quickly elevate to arguments or shouting matches. Even if the person you are talking to starts to get excited, you must stay on an even keel.
5. Watch the use of profanity. It's best not to use it at all. Even if the person you're talking to has an interesting vocabulary, that doesn't mean they will appreciate it from you. Some will, some won't and subordinates who are offended often won't tell you, but will harbor resentment.
6. Understand the difference between a critique and criticism. Though these words are nearly synonymous, there is a difference in application. Think of a critique as a critical analysis or evaluation of something and criticism as a judgment of someone. You may critique someone's work, but don't criticize him.
7. Project good on others and bad on yourself. "You did a great job on that project, but I was disappointed that it was not completed on time."
8. Likewise, when talking to others give success to your people, keep failure for yourself. "Jane did a great job on that project; unfortunately, I delivered it a little late." (That isn't to say you can't discuss Jane's lateness with her one-on-one) This is a difficult concept that many leaders fail to grasp. Just as you bask in the glow of your people's success, you must also take responsibility for the things that go wrong.
9. The age old advice to praise in public and critique in private still applies.
10. Do not adopt a superior tone with subordinates. They are not children and they won't appreciate it.
11. Control anger. You can be firm, but no matter how mad you are, don't let the anger guide you. Seldom does anything good come from words said in anger.
