I’m asked all the time “How would you handle this or that problem?” A very interesting fact is that approximately 80% of the problems that steal our time and disrupt our peace of mind are in fact people problems.
It follows that if we learn how to conduct ourselves and control situations without causing conflict, we will improve our outcomes. With success comes pleasure and you will begin to enjoy influencing the behaviour of others and being in control of your business.
Be the change you want to see in others - in other words the starting point is you. Your style of management will influence the culture of your business and the energy and level of service that your client experiences. We can’t all be experts in every area of our business. However, can you afford to be an ineffective manager?
The majority of people we work with will share certain commonalities, for example a desire to earn more, to enjoy working, a certain level of ambition, to feel they belong and are important to you. Your job is to help these people to reach these goals which create job satisfaction and a stable team, which incidentally clients truly value.
From time to time people may slip or under-perform. Does this make them ‘difficult’ or simply someone who needs support and extra guidance through a difficult time? At this moment, by taking a positive approach with an individual you can strengthen your relationship, respect and leadership values and hopefully turn them around.
At the other extreme, if you do have a team member who is constantly difficult or high maintenance you must decide if it is acceptable to you and fair to your colleagues. If the answer is ‘yes’ then stop complaining about it and be willing to accept the consequences down the line. If the answer is ‘no’, then ask yourself how did you allow the situation to become chronic? Perhaps you should have taken action a long time ago. By not taking action you have helped to create the problem you have today.
Be proactive, you manage people every day, not just at review time, so don’t be afraid to face up to people. Simply learn how to challenge a performance issue without making it personal. Identify how to confront a behaviour problem and ask for change.
This day and age you do need to follow legal guidelines and procedures, however don’t allow the fear of what might happen stop you. In my experience a majority of people respond positively to skillful management. On that note, remember ‘managers make teams, teams don’t make managers’. Yes, wouldn't it be wonderful if we all employed our concept of the perfect person. Well, we are all individual and the successful manager blends us into a harmonious and winning team.
There will from time to time be a rogue or black sheep, but to be frank these are usually new people who attempt to disrupt and create their own world inside your business. New people, in my view, should be mentored each day during their induction period, and if through this process you determine that you have hired a problem, then terminate the relationship before they damage you, your team and your finances.
