Careers in Managent and the Skills You'll Need

Control by respect, not fear. Most of us have faced the BOSS FROM HELL. At least I've had my fair share. And what I've learned is that trust is greater than fear.

My first management job, for example, I was hired to manage the public relations dept. of a non-profit firm for children's after-school education. My job was to basically charm parents into utilizing our services, and that I did well. My team's job was to find and bring those parents to me, but laziness is the plague of the PR dept.. In order to reach quota, I had to insure that my team did work to the best of their ability. Here's what effective management strategies I used:

Task Delegation. As an effective manager, try to give unto employees' tasks that will both meet goal and peak their interests. This will likely keep their mind from drifting into the abyss. Focus is key.

Divide what is "personal" from what is "work". On one extreme, there is the case of no work being done, because employees arrive to socialize. And on the other, poor quality work is being done, because employees refuse to participate with others whom they don't like. Here is where you emphasize a team effort, by making it clear that casual social engagement is for Facebook, not the coffee room. And despite differences, team players will work out their issues, not harbor resentment. If an employee refuses to settle conflict, then remove them from the team's effort. Effective management will NEVER stand for belligerence.

Make time into a friend. According to an article in Mindtools.com eNewsletter, "at the heart of time management is an important shift in focus. Concentrate on result, not on being busy." To do this you must frequently review team progress and weight the results (and period to complete) against the total time allot ed to a project or task. In this, an effective manager will impede employee ability to "pretend to work".

Share the Triumph! Probably the most important of all is to let all share in the victory. A bad manager will take all the credit for work that needed a team. On the other hand, an effective manager has the humility and nobility to give credit where it is due.

In summary, effective management is the positive interaction between leader and follower and the elimination of non-team players. Keep these guidelines in mind and you'll not only improve you're management ability, but, too, you will establish some lasting friendships.