What makes a manager great? It is how they utilize the resources that are available to them. I like to think that managers in corporate America are just like managers of professional sports teams. Many managers come in and find themselves with established personnel and they have to make a winning team out of the people they have on their rosters.
Managers are much the same. And when you introduce yourself to your team you are going find multiple personalities and attitudes that you might not agree with or even like. And in order to make your team into a winning team you need to put aside personal feelings, put aside your likes and dislikes and evaluate your team from the perspective of a professional and find their strengths and their weaknesses. Look for a combination of team members that will make one better and make one great.
I know what you are thinking, but some of my people are not good or some of my people are lazy or some of my people I just don't like. I heard one recently, this person doesn't represent my group with the professionalism I want.
And here's what I will tell you, that doesn't matter. I will say that again, that doesn't matter. Each individual of your group usually has something to offer. Something. Not a lot sometimes. Not everything that's certain. But typically each member of your group got there for a reason. You may not recognize that reason and it is for that very reason that you need to involve the rest of your team.
GREAT Managers always invite their team to participate: if there is someone you cannot stand; someone you cannot understand; someone that seems to be everything you do not want on your team. That is when you need to involve your team. Invite your team to talk to you about what they see in their team members: Without bias. Without your input. Without your faces or your thoughts prior to their meeting with you or especially when they are meeting with you.
Here are the two scenarios: One is an employee that you cannot see is of value to your team. In your opinion this person should be traded to another team or simply set off as a free agent. Let them go. Fire them. And in your opinion this is the only thing that should happen. But what happens if you involve your team. What happens if other members of your team share with you the value that this person brings to your team. What if they really want this person and their skills on the team and tell you their value as they see it? Will you look for the greater good? Will you be able to change your opinion? Or will you keep on your path because it's your path?
The second scenario is the opposite. You see the great abilities of one of your team. You understand this could be one of your superstars. And yet your team comes to you and says this member does not fit into the team.They tell you how this person creates conflict, doesn't bring team values, doesn't represent the atmosphere that they value What do you do then? There are many opportunities to delve into how you might make this person fit in. But what it takes is complete abandon of your typical abilities and requires you to create all new scenarios.
We all know that in both of these situations you as the manager is challenged. One, you want to stand your ground and be in charge and tell your team that you are letting this person go from the team. The other is you want to stand up, tell your team to suck it up that this person is an exceptional member and you want to stand your ground and tell your team that this person is staying no matter what, so get used to it.
But both scenarios require you to think out of the box. As a Business Coach and professional I have helped many managers apply new thinking to these cases and all of them have had exceptional results.
For example, in the first scenario you might find that a few of the skills of the person you thought didn't have any not only were highly valued by another member of your team but brought out the exceptional in them. And that when those to people were combined to work together they created a new dynamic in your team that not only raised their value but increased the team morale, value and abilities because of the energy that changed within the group.
In the second scenario nothing you could do would make the employee that came with exceptional skills fit into the group dynamics and nothing that happened with this terrific find helped the group to perform better and it actually can do more harm. Instead of the group dynamic raising it actually destroyed the group team and morale and the group foundered and in some cases the group may actually collapse.
Great managers realize that the individual abilities are not the only abilities that create a great team. Often times average or slightly above average abilities when combined with others abilities create exceptional team work and raise the team to never before achieved levels of success.
Now, if you are going to be a great manager, isn't it time you looked at your group slightly differently and helped them to become an exceptional team that will reflect you as an exceptional manager?
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