3 Foundations of Successful Management

As a new manager or supervisor, it can be difficult to know what to focus on first. If you search the internet for information related to supervision and management, you will discover a plethora of topics concerning the management of people.

Take a deep breath. Relax. I am going to give you three areas to focus on, that if you work on mastering, will help you to assimilate to your new role and help you build your confidence so that you can find early success in your new position.

The three foundational practices that we will look at are time-management (priority management), people management, and communication. If you start focusing on building your skills in just these three key areas, you will find immediate success. So, let’s begin by looking at each of these three areas in a little more depth.

Time-Management (Priority Management)

Time-management is one of those trick terms. No one can manage time. There are only so many hours in the day, and we cannot speed up or slow time. What we can control is our priorities and how we spend the time we have.

The problem new managers and supervisors face is how not to allow other people to dictate how their time will be used and clearly defining what their key priorities and goals are. When your preferences, or values, and goals are not specified, then you allow other people to set these for you.

I highly recommend reading Stephen R. Covey’s The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People. This foundational management book should be required reading for all new managers and supervisors and will help you understand the importance of defining your values and how to use them to prioritize your day.

Here are some quick wins to help you get started: 

1. Write down what priorities are most important in your life. Rank them in order of importance.

2. Sit down with a calendar and schedule time for each of your key priorities. These should be personal as well as professional. Don’t neglect any part of your life. You are a whole person, and you need to make sure you are taking care of every part of yourself. Setting your daily priorities will help you manage stress.

3. Begin each day with a review of your priorities and your schedule so that you are prepared to keep yourself on task to meet those goals.

I will discuss priority management in a future blog post so that we can dive a little deeper into this subject.

People Management

The management of your human resources is the most complicated and challenging part of your job. The skills needed to manage people take time to cultivate and mature. There are many aspects of people management including coaching for performance, conflict management, and motivating your team. Again, I will have a future post to cover each of these critical areas.

Here are some quick wins for having success with your people:

1. Always practice humility. Just because you’re the manager does not mean you have all the answers. It all right to not know everything. Your human. Admit what you don’t know and use the skills and knowledge of your team to overcome your shortcomings. Great leaders are great not because of what they know but because of what they can inspire others to accomplish together.

2. Give credit to others. Celebrate the successes and contributions of members of your team. Give credit where it is due and be generous with your praise. People thrive in organizations where contributions are celebrated and acknowledged.

3. Never lose your cool. The surest way to lose your team is to fly off the handle. Stay calm under stress. If a circumstance is challenging and you lose your cool excuse yourself and get away until you are composed. Never make spur of the moment decisions under duress unless it is an emergency.

4. Trust your team by showing faith in them. Trust is a two-way street. If you want it, you must give it. Believe in the people around you, and they will repay you.

5. Always be straightforward. Talk to the members of your team with respect but don’t lie or sugar coat problems. Deal with issues without delay. Some people may not like to hear the truth, but they will respect your honesty. If you don’t tell people when they are doing something wrong how are they going to correct it? When dealing with performance issues always approach the problem with the best interest of the employee. If you are honest and sincere, you will be able to win the confidence of your team.

Communication

Finally, communication is the key to everything. If you communicate openly, honestly, and promptly you will be able to get in front of most problems you will face. Always be straightforward in your communication. Don’t be vague or cryptic. Say what you mean but do it in a respectful tone. Learn how your body language, spoken word, and written words sound to others. Ask for the advice of others before communicating an important topic. Think about your audience and how they will perceive your message before beginning a dialog.

Here are some quick wins for communicating:

1. Use clear and concise language. Don’t use code words or vague language. Be as clear and specific as you can be. Leave no room for confusion.

2. Be open to critique or correction. In the event of misunderstandings allow yourself to be open to suggestions as to how to fix the miscommunication. Listen to what others have to say so you can learn.

3. Consider your audience before putting a communication out. How might your intended audience perceive your message? Are there any terms you may have to clarify? Do you have to adjust your message for different groups on your team?

4. Always be honest in your communication. Never mislead or obfuscate your message. Tell things as open and straight as you are able.

I will have more to write on each of these subjects in future blog posts. I hope this gives you some quick tips for finding success leading your team right away. If you start to focus and learn more about these three key management areas, you can be sure that you will begin to feel more comfortable in your new role. Stay tuned we will have a lot more to cover in future articles.