Management Course

00:00 Henry Minsberg once said, management is above all a practice where art, science, and craft meet becoming a good manager is perhaps one of the most difficult skill sets to develop consistently and apply on a day-to-day basis.

00:16 That's because it's a practice made up of many disciplines. Sure, to be a good manager you need to be a good leader that is you need to inspire, motivate, and influence but you also need to have an excellent grasp of other things like planning, budgeting, disciplining, delegating, and countless more.

00:38 The success or failure of your organization depends on your ability to skillfully balance it all, so there's no room for half-heartedness and little room for failure.

00:50 In this course we're going to help you with that Leviathan of all life challenges, being a good manager. According to a study from Gallup, 50% of employees quit their jobs because of their boss.

01:47 Another online study by the Harris Poll showed that 24% of employees would consider quitting if their managers don't provide adequate feedback.

01:56 While 68% of the respondents from a survey by Clutch reported that they feel fulfilled controlled when they receive accurate and consistent feedback.

02:08 Our course is going to consist of a series of critical discussion points. These are designed to cover this broad topic as thoroughly as possible, to encourage growth in these vital areas and to facilitate a real and fruitful discussion within your organization about how you can each improve on this essential

02:28 characteristic both at work and in your personal lives in general. Some of these will be pretty lengthy and some will be relatively straightforward and brief.

02:39 At the end of this road map comes the most important final step. Discussion time. Do not skip this. This is the most important part of this training.

02:54 When you finish this course, you need to spend at least an hour or so, going over the questions we supply at the end as a group.

03:02 Whoever's the head honcho in the group should designate a facilitator whose responsibility it is that each question is covered and that everyone time permitting is able to have their say.

03:14 Make sure all contributions are valued, all suggestions considered, and all opinions respected. So, let's move into the first discussion point.

03:27 Get to know your employees on a professional and personal level. Take the time to learn more about your employees, including their career goals and personal interests.

03:39 Get to know their relationships and passions outside of work that make them uniquely who they are. Knowing them as a person and not just as an employee will help you understand them more and leverage that information to help them succeed at work.

03:56 Delegate some of your work. Many people who get promoted to managerial positions often try to do everything by themselves and take on more work.

04:07 However, effective managers understand the value of delegating. Assign tasks and duties to your team member with the right set of skills and outlook to get the job done right and on time.

04:21 If no one knows how to do the job, take some time to teach them. Your time is better spent on more important tasks, instead of routine tasks that anyone else in your team can easily learn and accomplish.

04:37 lead by example. Be a leader and not just a manager. Turn your team's motivation towards a clear direction and goal.

04:48 Show them how they can be successful within the organization by letting them learn from your example. If you have high standards for your team, work ethically and with integrity.

05:01 Don't play favorites or single out specific employees for certain types of tasks or projects. Cultivate trust by demonstrating that you also have the qualities that you want your team members to have.

05:17 Be an effective communicator. Communicating with your team members is one of the most important skills that you need to know as a manager.

05:25 It's impossible to lead and manage a team effectively if you can't motivate people, make them understand your vision or provide feedback properly.

05:36 Here are some tips to help improve your communication style. Prepare your points beforehand and practice saying them out loud. Set clear expectations and specific due dates.

05:52 Don't make your employees read between the lines. Always keep your team updated with what's happening in the company and any future plans.

06:02 Your transparency will foster an inclusive culture where they won't be afraid to voice their concerns, opinions, and ideas. Be open to discussions and encourage original thinking and creativity.

06:19 Learn how to listen. Leading requires learning and learning involves listening. As a manager, you should never make your employees feel that they don't have the ability to speak their opinion or contribute to positive change in the organization.

06:36 When you listen and let your team members express themselves, you show your respect for them and also gain deeper insights.

06:45 Following are some tips to help you listen well and keep an open mind. Effective listening skills involve five components, receiving, understanding, remembering, assessing, and responding.

07:02 Go through these components one by one whenever you are talking to an employee. Be attentive, maintain eye contact, take notes when necessary, and wait for them to finish before you start talking.

07:19 Let go of your preconceived notions and don't jump to conclusions before or during the conversation. Listen with the goal of knowing as much as you can about the situation.

07:32 Prepare for discussions and meetings, but never assume that you know what your employees are thinking, what the problem is, or what the solution is.

07:44 Acknowledge success. Celebrate the success of your team. Recognize their achievements and let them know how they were able to contribute positively to the organization.

07:56 Don't get hung up on what's missing or what they weren't able to accomplish and focus instead on their hard work.

08:04 According to a study by the Harvard Business Review, high-performing teams have a ratio of six positive comments to every one negative criticism.

08:14 Praise is a powerful motivator and sometimes it can even be better than money. It makes employees know that they did well and encouraged them to do even better in the future.

08:28 Motivate your team. The ability to motivate other people is one of the most desirable traits for any manager. Your team members should have a positive belief in the ideas and tasks that you are asking them to do.

08:43 They shouldn't think that these tasks will bring about second rate results. When the atmosphere at work is positive, morale and productivity will also increase.

08:55 Here are some things that you can try to motivate your team. Make sure that each member of your team understands their role.

09:04 Provide your employees with a clear set of goals and an understanding of how to attain them. Ensure that they have the facilities and tools to ensure that goals are reached on time.

09:18 monitor their milestones along the way. Figure out what motivates your team members. Do they prefer continuous feedback, quiet appreciation, more challenging projects, or external recognition?

09:35 Make sure that they are paid what they're worth. You don't want to lose high performing team members because they're being underpaid.

09:45 Encourage collaboration and teamwork so that each one feels like they rely on the team for support and assistance. This will instill in them a greater attachment to the successes of your team and the company.

10:00 Exercise Restraint It's easy to let the stress at work get the best of you. You might be tempted to let out your frustrations on your employees, but remember that you'll You'll have to deal with unmotivated employees who will be ready to leave at the first chance they get.

10:17 Rain in your temper. Stay calm and think things through. If you were an employee, you also wouldn't be happy to work at a place where the manager gets easily provoked and always has something unpleasant to say.

10:32 Practice a little patience and instead of flying off the handle right away, listen patiently to the issue at hand and offer sound advice and support.

10:43 Practice Self-Reflection Effective leaders are self-aware. It's impossible to manage other people when you can't even manage yourself. Set aside some time to reflect on your actions, reactions, and future initiatives.

10:59 This can come in many forms, including regular counseling sessions with your boss, researching in various leadership techniques, or asking your peers about how you can improve.

11:10 Remember that you shouldn't be so focused on other people that you forget about yourself. Calm down. Consider your strengths and weaknesses and identify a course of action to help improve those areas you need to work on.

11:27 Set clear goals and deliverables. Goal setting is one of the hallmarks of effective managers. You need to have a clear vision and strategy for your team.

11:39 Clear and well-defined goals will not just serve as a roadmap for the work that needs to be done, but will engender a shared sense of purpose in your staff.

11:48 When creating the goals for your team, keep the following in mind. Each goal should be linked to a set of deliverables, which are, essentially, small, actionable tax.

12:01 Deliverables will help your employees better visualize how their individual contribution tie into the bigger goals of the organization. Make sure to reiterate these goals and deliverables at every milestone.

12:15 Monitor their progress to ensure that things stay on track. Schedule one-on-one meetings, where you can give them advice on handling certain tasks for situations.

12:27 Avoid ambiguous wording and set smart goals that get constantly updated and evaluated. Hold your team members accountable. Accountability does not just involve holding your subordinates responsible for their work and their actions.

12:45 Instead, accountability must flow in all directions within the organization. Each member of the organization should hold one another accountable, including those in the upper ranks.

12:58 If you want to hold your team accountable to their tasks, make sure that you communicate this as clearly as possible.

13:05 List down the expected outcomes, completion dates, and any other detail that they should pay attention to. Measure results with correct and comprehensive data that is also available to the rest of the team.

13:22 Be Inclusive Encourage all of your team members to contribute to reaching the team's target. Don't just rely on certain people to accomplish the most crucial tasks.

13:34 You don't want to exclude your employees from tasks that they may also be qualified and skilled enough to do. Before you allocate work, make sure that you take into account their opinions and ideas.

13:46 Don't just hand out instructions to your team members without obtaining their feedback or letting them understand what the task entails.

13:55 Even the newest member of your team may prove to have a very useful or insightful suggestion. Create a collaborative environment A collaborative environment is one where all the members of the team feels respected and valued.

14:12 You can achieve a collaborative workplace by letting your subordinates see your own passion and positivity for your work. At the same time, don't try to hog all the work.

14:24 Instead, delegate and encourage communication through feedback and regular one-on-one meetings. Make sure that you emphasize the importance of a welcoming and supportive atmosphere at work.

14:38 Define success Success can be defined qualitatively or quantitatively. The former is measured by observations and focus more on soft skills such as flexibility, communication or teamwork.

14:54 The latter is measured by metrics or statistics. For every project that you take on as a team, it's important for you to assess your team's performance through both types of measurements.

15:06 Quantitative performance evaluations are impartial and objective and are specifically designed for the employee's role. Some of your team members may be more receptive to seeing the outcomes of their work in black and white.

15:21 On the other hand, qualitative performance evaluations are ideal for roles where success can be a little more abstract. Management Manage behavior Managing behavior might sound like something out of a kindergarten teacher's list of tasks, but effective managers understand its importance in the organization

15:45 . As a manager, you want to be certain that your employees behave in a way that aligns with the organization's values and company culture.

15:53 It is your job to make sure that your team members understand the importance of your company values and that compromising these values is never in their best interest.

16:05 Managing employee behavior will also help you create a productive and effective workplace that will ultimately drive your organization ahead of the competition.

16:17 Take a leadership course. Leaders aren't born. They're made. Actively working on improving your leadership skills will make you a more effective manager.

16:29 However, it's tough to improve on your own, and sometimes it's better to ask for expert advice and assistance. One way to do this is to enroll in a leadership training program.

16:41 There are various online video based courses that will make this process easier for you. Some of them are free, although the more popular ones are offered at affordable rates.

16:53 They include courses on critical thinking, decision-making, how to create change, and how to disagree properly. Be Transparent According to the American Psychological Association, approximately 25% of employees don't trust their employers.

17:14 As a manager, you don't want employees who don't trust you or the company since they are unlikely to align their own personal goals with that of the company.

17:24 Here are some great tips that you can use to promote transparency at work. If there are any roadblocks that they may encounter during the course of their work, let them know about it.

17:37 Offer suggestions as well on how they can handle these roadblocks. If you've received vital, but not confidential information from senior leadership, make sure that your team knows about it as well.

17:53 Explain the rationale behind your decisions so that they are not left wondering about your reasons and motivations. Don't be afraid to be the bearer of bad news.

18:05 It's definitely not a pleasant experience, but your team members should know about both the good and the bad to help them adjust and improve continuously.

18:19 Create a feedback system Implement a system where your team members can give you feedback on the work that they are doing.

18:28 Timely and consistent feedback from your subordinates will help you identify weaknesses or adverse behavior as well as reinforce positive ones.

18:37 Your employee should know that they are free to express themselves when they feel that something's wrong. You can try holding one-on-one meetings, or an anonymous suggestion box, where your team members can let you know how you are doing as their leader.

18:54 Balance Praise and Criticism Your team members need a healthy balance of praise and criticism in order to succeed in their roles.

19:03 If you only provide praise, you're not really helping your employees grow. However, if you only offer criticism, your employees will get demoralized and be constantly on edge.

19:15 Try the following tips if you are developing a system for providing constructive comments. Give more praise than criticism. Research from the Harvard Business Review show that top performing teams typically have a constant and continuous flow of positive comments.

19:34 Never lie to your team members about how they're doing. Figure out when, where, and how to give praise properly. Good results and behavior should be acknowledged and rewarded consistently and promptly.

19:50 Remember that public and private praise as well as special recognitions are great management tools for building trust and morale. Criticism must also be timely.

20:02 However, you shouldn't just identify their mistakes. Provide them with feedback that will help them overcome their weaknesses by allowing to set goals for improvement.

20:12 You're demonstrating your belief in their abilities and skills. Always finish on a positive note. Be specific when commenting on their work.

20:24 Instead of just telling them that they're doing a good job, mention a specific project, and let them know why their actions or efforts were commendable.

20:36 Provide mentorship or career development opportunities. To raise morale and motivate your team to achieve greater heights, your employees have to feel that they are growing in their roles and learning new things.

20:49 They should be able to see short and long-term career opportunities that will enable them to reach their full potential. Otherwise, they'll most likely be looking for better opportunities elsewhere.

21:03 Take the time to create development opportunities that would help each staff member progress on their individual career paths. If you don't have the budget for large-scale conferences or trainings, consider getting more senior employees in the organization to mentor your team members and help with their

21:20 career goals. Use stretch assignments to challenge your team. A stretch assignment is one that involves skills or knowledge that is beyond the current repertoire of an employee.

21:35 To help your team members learn new skills and help them handle work outside of their comfort zone, try assigning stretch assignments every now and then.

21:43 Here are some of the top reasons to use stretch assignments. Determine whether or not an employee has the potential to take on leadership roles and more responsibilities.

21:56 Prepare your team to step up when you are not around. Test new ideas, concepts and approaches. Ensure that you'll have manpower if the organization decides to expand and in the new programs and projects.

22:14 Expose your team to other departments and areas of the organization. Don't Micro-Manage Micro-Managing occurs when managers try to personally control every aspect of a staff member's work.

22:32 This often means that the manager will lose track of the bigger picture and focus too much on the details. cells.

22:39 Micromanagement is counterintuitive and demoralizing because your employees won't have any freedom to think for themselves and make independent decisions. Here are some of the dangers of micromanagement.

22:53 When you drastically limit your management style, you also limit your means of communication and ultimately your management ability. Your employees lose their trust in you.

23:07 They'll no longer see you as a manager, but as someone who instills fear and anxiety. Your employees will lose the confidence to complete tasks on their own, and instead, become heavily dependent on you and your constant interference.

23:24 You'll quickly burn out. Micro management is exhausting, and the work will eventually get to you. It may even cause you to hate your job, and even the organization that employs you.

23:39 Create an employee recognition system. Being held in high esteem by your peers motivates an employee to work harder, and makes them feel that they are a great fit for the organization.

23:52 An employee recognition system acknowledges the contributions of a staff member to the goals of the company and commends their exemplary performance.

24:02 If you are planning to develop a recognition system for your own team, here are some cool ideas that you can try out.

24:10 Monetary bonuses will always make an employee feel valued because it shows that their hard work is paying off. Giveaway custom gifts or company branded items such as bags, tumblers, or shirts to employees who are performing well.

24:28 Schedule a free lunch for your team to treat them for doing a great job for the week. Celebrate work anniversaries, birthdays, and other significant live events with your team members.

24:42 Make sure that everyone's eligible for the recognition. Don't exclude anyone or any group, especially if you manage a team with varying responsibilities.

24:52 You may want to consider creating multiple recognition programs for different types of roles or positions. Make work more fun. Some of the most successful companies in the world have created a workplace where employees can stay happy and motivated.

25:10 Make sure that you find the right balance so that while they can have a place to clear their minds and feel refreshed, they're still able to stay engaged and productive.

25:21 Following are some great ideas to make your office more fun. Have a small recreational area. Consider adding a couch, some bean bags, a picnic bench, or a pool table.

25:34 This will serve as a place where your employees can stay if they need a break or wish to relieve stress.

25:40 They can also take their laptops with them if they want a change of scenery away from their desks. Organize nights out so that your team members can get to know each other better, and form friendships outside of work that can encourage collaboration back in the office.

25:59 Your office should also reflect your brand, decorate the place, and make sure that it's attractive and interesting while also staying on brand.

26:10 A study from the economist reported that having a dog in the office can boost productivity and reduce stress, working with a dog nearby also encouraged employees to become better collaborators.

26:27 Admit Your Mistakes True leaders know when to show humility and admit their mistakes. By letting others know that you are not perfect, you earn the respect of your employees and bring yourself closer to your team.

26:43 Furthermore, it helps instill loyalty in you. Admitting your mistakes also demonstrates the strength of your character and encourages your team members to not feel embarrassed to admit any mistakes that they may make in the future.

27:01 Refine your decision making. Using sound judgment and making wise decisions is one of the hallmarks of being a good manager.

27:10 Instead of focusing on the outcomes of your choice, you might want to take a look at the way you come up with a specific course of action, an effective decision making process involves the following elements.

27:23 Quality requires analyzing the problem and comparing the options that are available to you. Executability involves ensuring that your team is on board with the option that you have chosen to boost the likelihood that your decision will be executed properly and create positive outcomes.

27:43 Timeliness means ensuring that your decision is implemented at the right time. Be empathetic. Empathy refers to the ability to understand someone's situation using that same person's perspective.

28:01 Being an empathetic manager helps you become more tolerant of diverse ideas and opinions, helps developing trust and long-lasting relationships, and be more open to change.

28:13 Here are some of the top reasons for you to learn to be more empathetic in the workplace. You can easily recognize the feelings of your employees and control your actions accordingly.

28:25 You are more motivated to follow a strong moral compass built on communication, kindness, respect, and tolerance. You'll think more about the needs of your team members before you make decisions.

28:41 You'll be more calm and accepting of criticism. You won't get defensive or argumentative in high-stress situations. You'll be more willing to take risks for the team because you value character over your ego.

28:58 Learn to separate personal problems from organization problems. If you have built a trusting relationship with your employees, they are going to come to you when they have problems.

29:11 problems. However, you shouldn't treat these problems equally. Understanding the difference between personal and an organizational problem will help you come up with an effective response.

29:24 You can correct personal problems through your people management skills without requiring considerable reorganization. On the other hand, organization problems are caused by inherent issues within the organization.

29:36 You'll need to take control of the situation, talk to the senior leaders about possible solutions and keeping your staff's head above water until the issue is completely resolved.

29:49 Check in regularly, even when there's nothing wrong. Make sure that your employees are able to easily approach you when they come across any problem or issue at work and check in with them periodically.

30:03 But don't pop in or hover around so much that it becomes stressful or awkward. In this way, you can quickly put out fires before they turn massive.

30:14 Regular one-on-one meetings are also ideal so that you can check in on their progress as well as get to know them better.

30:24 Encourage your employees to be problem solvers. At one point or another, your team will encounter seemingly impossible situations. They'll walk into your office and leave things up to you.

30:38 This isn't how it should be done. Your role is to boost efficiency, not add on more to your plate. As their manager, you should encourage them to come up with possible solutions before they come to you for help.

30:54 Following are some ways to help you encourage problem-solving abilities within your team. provide them with sufficient tools, freedom, and responsibility to fix the problems that come their way.

31:08 Trust them to get the job done. Don't let them become dependent by not micromanaging, constantly looking over their shoulder or always bailing them out.

31:20 Set goals instead of giving them a list of instructions. Let them figure out how to complete the job instead of giving a sequence of steps that they can follow.

31:30 Encourage creativity because some problems don't always require a linear and logical way of thinking. Facilitate brainstorming. Teamwork is always a good thing.

31:43 If there is a problem that your employee can't solve on his own, try letting him work together with a group.

31:52 Get better at identifying talents. Delegating tasks requires having a solid grasp of your team's talent pool. You should be able to recognize your staff's skills and talents and harness them in such a way that would benefit the entire organization.

32:09 Remember that not everyone can handle certain tasks capably or easily, so you should identify each member's strengths and weaknesses. This will then help you create and allocate the tasks better and organize the workflow more efficiently.

32:26 Give people autonomy. It can be tempting to just tell your employees exactly what you want them to do. This can work in situations where the employees are unable to meet your expected quality of work.

32:40 However, most employees prefer being independent and like to be challenged. Allow your employees to take responsibility and accountability for their work.

32:51 Here are some ways to encourage autonomy with your team members. Challenge them but make sure that they don't get overwhelmed.

33:01 Establish boundaries. While autonomy is generally a good thing, too much choice can also be dangerous. Let your employees be autonomous but also hold them accountable for the results.

33:15 Create opportunities for your team to learn about organizing, balancing priorities, and goal setting. Autonomy does not mean completely abandoning them.

33:27 Make sure that you are always there to offer advice and support. Don't sweep problems under the rug. Whenever you encounter problems within the team or the organization, don't tip to around them, instead face them head on and never hesitate to take a step forward.

33:47 Come up with possible solutions before it adversely affects your team. Keep in mind that an aversion to uncomfortable situations shouldn't keep you from fighting for your team and looking out for any problem that might threaten their well-being and quality of work.

34:03 Your employees want you to stand up for them so that they can do their jobs to the standards words you've said.

34:13 Be receptive to negative feedback. Don't react defensively if you receive negative feedback. In fact, always assume that the person who gave this has a good intention.

34:25 It's basically the same thing as providing feedback and criticism to any member of your team that isn't performing well. You want them to learn and improve.

34:35 In the same way that they want you to help them change things. If no one in your team wants to come forward with an honest criticism, change your approach.

34:48 Instead of asking for feedback, ask them for advice. Sometimes people see the word feedback with negative lenses. It can seem too formal or forced.

35:01 Ask your team for advice, demonstrate your belief in their knowledge, and skills. Handle Toxic Employees Even the best managers can get saddled with that one employee that makes work life miserable for the people around them.

35:22 If you can't let him go immediately, here are some great ways to respond to their behavior and reduce the damage they cause.

35:31 Identify the cause of their discontent. Are they unhappy with their role or are they experiencing adversities in their personal life?

35:41 Meet with them to find out what their reason is and offer to help. Make sure that you let them know directly the effect they have on the rest of their team.

35:53 Toxic people can be oblivious to their surroundings settings, since they are too focused on themselves and their issues. Schedule one-on-one meetings with the rest of the team to get the other side of the story.

36:07 Develop a plan of action to address the situation. If the toxic employee is still resistant to change, accept the fact that you won't be able to fix things and explore other options.

36:20 documents, document the behavior, the steps you have taken, any official warnings you have issued, and the complaints from the rest of the team.

36:31 Always be on time. Even if you were just meeting informally with your team members, stick to the agreed upon schedule.

36:40 This shows that you respect their time as highly as you value yours. It will also help promote trust and respect in each other.

36:50 If you are regularly late to your team meetings, perhaps it's time to take a look at your time management skills, even if you have to cut a previous meeting short, show up on time.

37:02 If you know that you are going to be late, make sure that you inform them at least an hour beforehand.

37:12 Prioritize health and well-being. Healthy employees are contributing employees. Studies show that one of the biggest sources of inefficiency and productivity loss are sick employees.

37:25 Make sure that you encourage your employees to take some downtime every now and then, to de-stress and rejuvenate. Lead by example through taking your holidays, prioritizing downtime, and putting your health first.

37:40 Remember that you should never give your employees the idea that working 24-7 is the only way they can achieve success in the organization.

37:54 Manage Expectations Sometimes clients and superiors will push for outcomes and deadlines that are just not feasible. In cases like this, let your bosses know what your team is realistically capable of accomplishing.

38:10 Given their desired outcome and existing workload, give them a more attainable picture. Letting your superiors know when something is not reasonable would help them adjust their expectations, or, at the very least, provide you with tools and resources that you can used to work faster and more efficiently

38:32 . And now it's discussion time, the most important part of this training. Whoever's the headhunt show in the group should designate a facilitator whose responsibility it is that each of the questions you see on your screen is covered and that everyone time permitting is able to have their say.

38:49 Make sure all contributions are valued, all suggestions considered, and all opinions respected.