Power to Your People

Power to Your People
By: Alan Fairweather

If you are manager, I am sure you think you are pretty good at your job. Some managers seem to think that they should know everything about the jobs that their team members do, and be better than them at doing it.

I can remember, in the past, working for managers like that. They gave the impression that they knew everything and were far better than I would ever be at doing my job. This, of course, did not motivate me at all.

The motivational manager accepts that members of his staff may be better at doing the job than he is. His staff may be better salesmen, better at customer service, better administrators or better engineers.

I have had salesmen working for me who were better at selling than I was. However, that did not make me less of a good manager.

Sir Alex Ferguson, the manager of probably the world's most successful football club, Manchester United, had a pretty undistinguished career as a fooballer. He did at one time play for the Glasgow Rangers but could hardly be described as a star footbaler. He is now, of couse, a star manager.

If you manage or supervise other people, have confidence in yourself. Accept your limitations and do not feel bad if you do not initially know the answer to every question.

Ironically, your staff will not be more motivated if you come up with the answers to all of their problems or queries. Encourage your staff to come to you with solutions, not problems.

If you spend your time solving their problems, you will spend all your time solving problems!

When someone in your team asks you what he should do, even if you know the answer, reflect back the question. Ask him what he would do. Ask him for his opinions. For example, what does he think is the best course of action, and why he thinks it is the best? What are the consequences of this action, for the customer, the business and the team member himself?

When he gives you his answers, empower, support and congratulate him on them. If he feels that he has made the decision, he will have more confidence in himself and be more motivated to do his job even better.

What you are essentially doing here is utilising the knowledge, skill, experience and motivational power that is already within your team members. Once you leverage on this, you will have a highly motivated team who respect and trust you as their manager.

Source: Article by Alan Fairweather, an associate consultant with d'Oz International, Star Metro Classifieds, The Star, August 22, 2009

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