CourseAdvisor - Your Source for Education and Training

by Greg Titus, CourseAdvisor

Like a coach of a successful sports team, a good manager needs to understand the people in his or her organization and figure out the best way to motivate them. Some people respond by being pushed. Others respond better when they get a pat on the back. Learning to read people and understanding their hot buttons is the key to being an effective manager of a successful organization.

Hone interpersonal communication and develop insight
How do you determine when to use each approach? Well, communication and attentiveness are key. As a manager, are you a good listener or do you only hear what you want to hear? How well do you know the people in your organization? What makes them tick? What do they really care about? If they have accomplishments that they are proud of, how did they achieve them? Did they have help? Was someone cracking a whip to the finish line, or was there a cheerleader coaxing them to victory? What if they've never met any goals or fulfilled any assigned duties? Are they a lost cause?

When a pat on the back works better than getting poked with a stick
There is no such thing as a uniform approach in management. Different people respond differently to different approaches. Some people respond well to criticism and rise to the challenge. Other people completely shut down when they hear that their efforts have not lived up to expectations. They may respond well to a pat on the back, even if it hasn't been earned, while others will take advantage of a manager who uses praise instead of intimidation.

A good manager uses a variety of techniques to motivate people. Sometimes they work, sometimes they don't. If they don't work, you need to continue to make adjustments to find out what approach does work. In certain situations, the individual may have a strong desire to help, but lack the necessary skills or comprehensive knowledge to succeed. In that case, you may decide that additional education or training is required. In other situations, the problem may be less a professional issue than a personal one, which may or may not be resolvable. One of the hardest decisions a manager makes is deciding when you need to let someone go. Sometimes, no matter what you do, the employee never achieves a good fit with your organization (the square peg in a round hole).

When investing in the mission is essential
In a business "start-up" environment, it is even more important to make sure everyone buys into the mission, since resources are minimal. If you can figure out the best way to motivate each individual member of your team as well as the team as a whole, you'll be a leader as well as a manager. A competent manager of projects is a real asset to a company; a good manager of people - a leader - is twice as valuable, and appreciated by everyone from the top of the ladder to the bottom wherever he or she goes.