I've been a manager for over 30 years, have a degree in management and, in the last 6 years, have focused on project management. Been to a lot of seminars, observed quite a few really good managers and sadly witnessed quite a few bad managers.
Back when I came up there wasn't much in the way of training and guidance available; learning how to be a good manager was mostly done on-the-job; you learned by trial and error and hoped there weren't too many errors.
Through this blog I'll share some of the lessons I've learned as well as some of the better practices I've picked up over the years. I'm inviting your comments and questions.
The first item on my list of things to go over is probably the most important thing I've learned over the years - Scheduling. For most managers, the day is allocated to a fair number of meetings with others (customers, vendors, executives, staff, etc.) Keeping track of these commitments can be a painful task in itself but you can't avoid it. Missing meetings will lower your credibility with customers and your management. Departmental meetings are just as important; unless your staff feels that you are there for them, you will not have any credibility with them either.
One way or the other, you're going to be ineffective and, no matter how good you are in other areas, you're not going to be around very long.
Find an easy way to track your day. If you use a smart-phone with a built in calendering tool, learn it and use it for all your scheduling. If you're happy with Outlook then use the calendering tool. One way or the other, you need to use a tool (software, printer paper calendar, smart-phone).
When you're in meetings and you're asked to commit to dates, stop and check your calendar before you commit. Don't be afraid to pull your printed schedule out during a meeting, it's ok to check before you commit. It's easier to check and commit rather than commit then go back and try to reorganize your life when you realize that you have triple booked your day.
No comments:
Post a Comment