Seven Steps to Successful Managing

The practical pathway to leadership

BEING a manager is one thing, but becoming a superlative manager requires a little more effort, which raises you over the level of the ordinary. This is no way as difficult as one may think, nor is it as hard to achieve. With the will and the drive to succeed, any reasonably able executive can aspire to become the high- power, high profile success-story and become a result getting manager with a high employability quotient.

1. Boost self-discipline

Like most people, if you find it easy to deliver your best work when you are feeling on top of the world, the litmus test of your ability is if can deliver when you are feeling low. Usually, at moments like this do not give in to the temptation to snarl at your colleagues or let your customer feel as if you are doing them a favour.

Try to behave, as you should, as a role model. You have to set the standard when it comes to personal deportment, but make certain that the standard is the highest. A foolishly indulgent moment of impulsive misbehaviour can ruin years of effort when it comes to your career and reputation. According to Shalini Acharya, author of Sheep in Wolves' Clothing, self-control means "staying cool despite handling fractious people without biting back!"

2. Be kind always

You don't have to prove that you are manager material by bullying everyone around. Perhaps some teachers you had, relied on intimidation to get you to fall in line, but that does not a good manager make! Your job and efficiency involves the support and assistance of others. You will not be able to do things by yourself. Managing efficiently is no job for the Lone Ranger. In fact even the Lone Ranger had Tonto, his faithful Indian friend to help him. If you had been the vicious weight thrower I mentioned earlier, you will get only grudging, half-hearted help from your co-workers! Mistreatment of your fellow workers will have a curious effect on you. Amazing though it may seem, it would appear that your own self-esteem would be adversely affected. This is because, though you may feel a high after grinding a couple of your co-workers underfoot, the effort very soon loses its novelty and you begin to see the downside of what you have done. It can also get quite lonely by yourself, and if you do not feel good about being isolated, how can you ride high? If then you do not perform effectively, whom else can you blame?

A role model leader manager, Arundathi, has been alive to the advantages of this behaviour. Always courteous, often going as far as to open doors for her subordinate staff, she made it a point to spend at least five minutes every day with her staff "wasting time". The amazing part of this behaviour was that her staff laid on with renewed vigour as soon as she moved on and often completed their work long before it became due. This was despite her department being the largest in the organisation. Arundathi was aware that these people were the ones who were producing the main product of her organisation. The respect that Arundathi received was phenomenal. All her staff insisted that she was the best manager they had ever had.

3. Posting goals

Imagine, while on a flight from Delhi to Mumbai you hear over the public address system: "Ladies and gentlemen, I have good news and bad news. The bad news is we have been hijacked and are on our way to Lahore. The good news is that we are twenty-five minutes ahead of schedule." The bad news here certainly outweighs the good. It is not much different with your career. You need definite and clear-cut goals if these are unclear, your career path will be mighty uncomfortable. Much of your time will be spent in running very hard to stay in the same place.Effective leaders must set goals. The people who work for them expect it, and it has been found that most leaders fall flat in this area. Most subordinates feel that their managers do a poor job of setting goals for them. The only way to circumvent this problem is to write down your goals and those of your people and post it up for them all to see. In this way, employees are constantly reminded to keep their goals (and yours!) in view at all times.

4. Criticism is creative

Criticism may not always be pleasant, but it is generally accurate. It also provides you with a fair picture of the way ahead. If you are seen to be hostile to such feedback, people will start hesitating to tell you what you need to know. You, your methods and effectiveness will suffer and there will be nothing you can do about it. Your subordinates are often the best source of such inputs, listen carefully and then ACT!

5. Problem pundits are out: Solution sheiks are in!

It doesn't take much expertise to pick out the mistakes, but Problem Pundits take inordinate delight in sharing their insights repeatedly. There are some in every office; probably your own workplace has a few. These are the guys who find themselves relegated to the boondocks. With careers at a standstill the problem assumes frightening proportions. Blaming the boss or the top management team shows your own weakness and disloyalty and will be a poor example to your subordinates who will take the same liberties with you! You need to support the management even if you don't concur with them. The best is to make constructive suggestions that are relevant and applicable. Be the Sheik of Solutions!

6. Bounce in with enthusiasm

Good vibes are infectious, so if they emanate from you, you can be sure that your team will brim with productivity. If you are enthusiastic, your team will reflect your mood and be enthusiastic themselves. A long face and lugubrious demeanour plays havoc with group morale, good leaders would do well to remember to always radiate good vibes so that their teams blossom.

Be optimistic about everything, if you try to see the bright side of things your subordinates will look at the unfamiliar with optimism as well. This is generally halfway to a solution! Be passionate about your work and the effect is a shot in the arm to your people! You are role-model material: let them emulate you!

7. Opportunities knock, open the door!

Many opportunities are like those flowers that are born to blush unseen. They look too much like work to be appreciated, as tools that can be utilised to display your leadership skills.

Such opportunities rarely come served on a platter....you have to go out and find them and bend them to your paradigm. Initiative is essential to get you there first, take calculated risks if necessary and you will be instrumental in turning the company around! Your staff will look to you for guidance and leadership; provide this and they'll follow you into the darkest reaches of night.

Developing these qualities is not the easiest thing in the world. You need to commit, and to do that you need to be convinced yourself that you could do it! Not all leaders are committed, take the challenge and rise to the top!

S. RAMANUJACHARYA

professor1@sify.com