Management Basics in easy steps, 2nd Ed

Tony Rossiter

• Publisher: In Easy Steps Limited
• Year: 2019
• Print ISBN: 9781840788501
• eBook ISBN: 9781840788549
• Topic: Business
• Subtopic: Management
• Index: Business

Management Basics in easy steps, 2nd edition offers practical tips, information and common-sense advice based on the author's 40 years' hands-on experience of management – now updated to reflect advances in technology and changes in the wider working environment.

Whether you are an experienced manager or about to take up your first management job, Management Basics in easy steps, 2nd edition will be of real help to you in the workplace. It is a lively, easy-to-read book, full of tips and simple, practical things that have been put into practice in the real world and shown to work where it matters – in the workplace. Tony Rossiter's clear, humorous writing style and comprehensive content make Management Basics in easy steps, 2nd edition a compelling must-read for anyone with a management role. His management tips and advice will show you:

• How people skills help you put into practice all the technical skills needed by a manager
• How to manage your staff, your colleagues, your customers and even your boss
• How to organise yourself and make the most effective use of your time
• How to focus on the vital 20% of your work that accounts for most of the results
• How to win the respect and trust of your team and make it the best
• How to select the right person to join your team
• The art of effective delegation
• How to make effective use of digital tools, online networks and social media
• How to cope with change and see it not as a threat but as a great opportunity

This second edition has been revised to include the changes in management practices since the first edition, which was published in 2011, including:

• The increased importance and use of digital tools, business and performance management software, and social networks (e.g. LinkedIn, Slack, Yammer, Scoro, Twitter, Facebook)
• Increased focus on diversity and inclusion
• Implications of new data protection legislation
• Less tolerance of unacceptable workplace behaviour such as bullying and sexual harassment
• More recognition of the importance of the culture of an organisation
• A move away from traditional, command-and-control hierarchies towards more flexible working – working from home, better work/life balance, teamwork, collaboration, matrix structures, trusting and empowering those at the coal-face
• A move away from fixed appraisal systems and formal training towards continuous feedback, coaching and personal learning (e-learning, distance learning)
• More refined recruitment (use of LinkedIn etc)

Comes with useful worksheets – a complete guide for easy reference.

1

Managing People

What exactly do we mean by management? Different textbooks give different definitions, but people skills – handling staff, colleagues, customers and the boss effectively – are at the heart of good management.

What is Management?

Essential Qualities

Tools and Techniques

Being Human

Influencing and Persuading

Handling the Boss

Handling Customers

Personal Development

Summary

What is Management?

There are many different definitions of management. Many are along the lines of “achieving desired goals through planning, organizing, directing and controlling”.

A shorter – and perhaps better – definition is “getting results through other people”.

An organization may have an inspiring mission statement, clear goals, a compelling strategy, realistic and challenging work targets, and excellent systems and procedures. But none of these count for much unless it has enthusiastic, committed people. Handling and motivating people is at the heart of effective management.

People skills are the most important attribute of any manager. But they’re not enough on their own. The following chapters cover the core management skills needed by anyone operating at any level in any organization. People skills help you to put them all into practice. More advice about team-working and managing teams is given in Chapter 7.

The conventional definition of management is getting work done through people, but real management is developing people through work.

Plain common sense

There are no secrets or magic formulas in this book. Most of it is just obvious common sense. But if you’re a conscientious manager, working your socks off in the interests of your organization, you can be so focused on the job in hand and so determined to meet your deadlines that it’s easy to lose sight of some of the basic tools and techniques of effective management.

Most of this book is not about textbook solutions, but about simple, practical things that have been put into practice in the real world and shown to work where it matters – in the workplace.

It’s a combination of plain common sense and the kind of unofficial tips that are rarely written down, but which go a long way towards making a decent, effective manager.

Essential Qualities

You don’t have to know the latest management theories to be an effective manager. Theories and fashions come and go. Most of the important qualities have been around for years and years, and are likely to endure for many more years:

•Honesty

•Integrity

•Truthfulness

•Industriousness

•Reliability

•Accountability

•Loyalty

•Trustworthiness

•Dedication

•Resilience

And don’t forget plain common sense.

People skills are the most important attribute of any manager.

A good role model

If you’re a manager, it’s vital to set a good example. You need to model the standards of behavior you expect of your colleagues. Showing respect for the people you work with – not only the best and brightest, but every member of the team – is really important.

Remember: deeds always speak much, much louder than words. Setting a good personal example – modeling the behavior and the standards you expect of others – is arguably the most important attribute of any manager.

Walking the talk

It’s not difficult for a manager to lose the respect of colleagues or staff. All s/he has to do is to tell them one thing, and then to do another himself/herself. For example, make it clear that you expect everyone to be in the office by 9 o’clock on the dot; then roll up yourself at 10. It’s pretty obvious that this won’t do much for staff morale, but it’s surprising how many senior managers don’t make the connection.

Being honest and straight

Honesty is important. Don’t make promises you won’t be able to keep. If you have to pass on bad news, don’t shirk the responsibility. Choose the right time and the right way to do it.

Do it carefully and sensitively. But do it. Occasionally there may be circumstances that prevent you from telling your people as much as you know yourself. If that is the case, just tell them what you can and stop there. They may not like it, but they will like it even less if you mislead them.

Don’t, whatever you do, express one view of an issue to one person and a different view to someone else. That might be expedient in the short term, but in the long term it will do you no good. You’ll be regarded as untrustworthy and duplicitous. On the other hand, the way you express your view, and the facts and arguments you use to support it, may well need to vary according to who you are talking to. You’ll want to take account of “where they are coming from”. In other words, say the same thing to everyone, but say it differently.

Being fair-minded and even-handed

We’re all human, and we all like some people more than others. But a manager won’t be fully effective if s/he is seen to treat some people better than others. Put personal preferences and prejudices aside and deal with...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title
• Copyright
• Contents
• 1 Managing People
• 2 Managing Time
• 3 Managing Presentations
• 4 Managing Meetings
• 5 Managing Projects
• 6 Managing Communication
• 7 Managing Teams
• 8 Managing Negotiations
• 9 Managing Decisions
• 10 Managing Change
• 11 Managing Delegation
• 12 Managing Recruitment Interviews
• + Resources
• Back Cover