How to Manage People – Keep Up With the Changes!
Over the years, we have seen dramatic changes and evolution in the types of skills that a manager should possess in order to be successful. The business world is more competitive and fast paced than ever before, and a great manager can make a major difference in the amount of success experienced by any organization. The biggest change that managers have had to adapt to over the years is that it has become increasingly important that they understand how to manage people. A manager who knows how to develop good relationship, inspire, and motivate other members of his or her organization will not only have a great advantage over many of their competitors, but will also have a much more promising future than those managers who fail to understand how to manage people.
Not long ago, a manager of a success software company called together his team of software engineers to discuss the purchase and use of a new software program to help with certain types of analysis that needed to be performed. The manager had chosen a software program that he felt would meet the needs of the team after researching the different options available on his own. The software was very expensive, but it worked well and performed the analysis that the team of engineers needed. However, the manager noticed a great deal of resistance from his team members when it came to using the software.
Wisely, the manager called the team together to address their reluctance to use the new software program. He invited them to research the available programs and choose one that they felt was the best fit for the team. The team chose a program very similar to the one that had been originally chosen, and immediately they were happy to use the new software. The difference in the performance of the analysis tools was minimal, but the fact that the team who would be using the software was able to choose the best fitting option made a huge difference to the software engineers.
This manager learned an important lesson. Both software packages were able to perform the necessary analysis, but asking his team of software engineers which software package they would like to use caused the engineers to be fully engaged and excited about the new tools that were available to them. The manager was asking his team to make a change, but instead of seeking their input to make the change flow as smoothly as possible, he pushed his choice upon his team.
One of the key lessons to learn in managing people is that people don’t resist change nearly as much as they resist being changed. Change in business is inevitable and it usually leads to growth and greater business results. However, if a manager asks team members to help find a solution rather than forcing a solution upon them, there is a much better chance that employees will “buy in” to the change. It’s a subtle difference, but one that can make a tremendous difference and lead to much more positive results.
By: Ed Oakley