Top Priorities of Effective Managers
Effective managers are generalists who know how to direct their energies and efforts to areas where they will provide the most benefits and the best results. We have all developed a great and erroneous fear of micromanagement, and rarely hear of the cases when micromanagement would have prevented disaster: in the new enterprise, group, or situation where the outcomes are unknown. Knowing the roles, requirements, standards and functions of the department and knowing which management style to apply is a top priority for managers who want to be effective.
Effective managers know how to constantly relate the activities, functions and roles of the department to the overall mission of the organization. When there is very little hope of relating activities and functions to the overall organizational or corporate mission, then there is very little hope of justifying the existence or organization of the department when reorganizations or department closures occur.
Effective managers make it a top priority to constantly improve their general knowledge of the work, the workplace, the top ten challenges, problems and issues, and the other major issues of the department, company, and industry. More individuals are placed in management positions where they know little or nothing about the job than we think. The best ones hit the training manuals, make up "mojo books" that have critical information, interview the most knowledgable personnel (without demanding to be "trained"), and get as independently savvy as quickly as possible.
Effective managers do not just monitor and work toward established departmental and personal performance and effectiveness indicators, they have a top priority of developing new ways of monitoring quality with a goal of improving performance, improving production, preventing recurrance of past disasters, or to reduce costs.
Effective managers can do more than communicate effectively. They make it a priority to communicate, negotiate, and even politic effectively across departments, with peers, and up the chain of organization and supervision. An effective communicator and politician is more successful in representing the department, in resolving conflicts that create work slowdowns and stoppages, and in getting the needed resources for the department.
Effective managers do not have "open door" policies. They ARE the door. Effective managers visit all areas of their department, know who their employees are, and can hold a conversation with employees while walking through from time to time. In this process, they listen effectively as often or more often than they speak effectively. In this way, the staff is familiar with the department manager, feel that they are important enough to get a visit and a bit of chat now and again, and know that when they have a work problem, it will get some attention.
Finally, effective managers do not make themselves, their image, their needs or their career the top priority. That is a good way to lose the trust and respect of the staff. The staff is the priority, and their needs, problems, and required resources come first. An effective manager earns respect and trust by exercising their authority and developing their policy on a fair, coherent, and consistent basis. In this way, proving that we are effective and earning trust and respect is the true top priority.
