“There is one quality that sets truly great managers apart from the rest: they discover what is unique about each person and then capitalize on it,” says Buckingham, the renowned management consultant who has studied hundreds of organizations and leaders. “The job of a manager . . . is to turn one person’s particular talent into performance.”
The worst theory of management is to not have one at all, but the second worst is one that doesn’t change. - Will Larson
A manager’s output = the output of his organization + the output of the neighboring organizations under his influence. - Andrew S. Grove
As a manager or executive, you are better off communicating too much than too little. - Jim McCormick
Emotional intelligence—the ability to manage ourselves and our relationships effectively—consists of four fundamental capabilities: self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, and social skill. - HBR, Daniel Goleman
Managers are not confronted with problems that are independent of each other, but with dynamic situations that consist of complex systems of changing problems that interact with each other. I call such situations messes. Managers do not solve problems, they manage messes. - Donella H. Meadows
Systems need to be managed not only for productivity or stability, they also need to be managed for resilience. - Donella H. Meadows
Management is about coping with complexity. Its practices and procedures are largely a response to one of the most significant developments of the twentieth century: the emergence of large organizations. Without good management, complex enterprises tend to become chaotic in ways that threaten their very existence. Good management brings a degree of order and consistency to key dimensions like the quality and profitability of products. Leadership, by contrast, is about coping with change. - HBR
He summarizes this approach to management as “hire well, manage little” and believes this extreme form of decentralization increases the overall efficiency of the organization by reducing overhead and releasing entrepreneurial energy. - William N. Thorndike
At most companies, the boss is there to approve or block the decisions of employees. This is a surefire way to limit innovation and slow down growth. At Netflix, we emphasize that it’s fine to disagree with your manager and to implement an idea she dislikes. We don’t want people putting aside a great idea because the manager doesn’t see how great it is. - Reed Hastings
Algorithms are principles in action on a continuous basis. I believe that systemized, evidence-based decision making will radically improve the quality of management. Human managers process information spontaneously using poorly thought-out criteria and are unproductively affected by their emotional biases. - Ray Dalio
“When a person is not doing his job, there can only be two reasons for it. The person either can’t do it or won’t do it; he is either not capable or not motivated.” This insight enables a manager to dramatically focus her efforts. All you can do to improve the output of an employee is motivate and train. There is nothing else. - Andrew S. Grove
In principle, every hour of your day should be spent increasing the output or the value of the output of the people whom you’re responsible for. - Andrew S. Grove
The motto I’m advocating is “Let chaos reign, then rein in chaos.” - Andrew S. Grove
Again, as a manager in such a workplace, you need to develop a higher tolerance for disorder. Now, you should still not accept disorder. In fact, you should do your best to drive what’s around you to order. - Andrew S. Grove
When I started managing, my leadership philosophy was simple: The Golden Rule makes a lot of sense. Give everyone an explicit area of ownership that they are responsible for. Reward and status should derive from finishing high-quality work. Lead from the front, and never ask anyone to do something you wouldn’t. - Will Larson
As a manager you also need to build a work environment that is fun and where laughter is welcome. If the workplace is a fun and enjoyable place to be, your employees will show up more, work harder, and be more productive. - Jim McCormick
Resist taking on delegations from your direct reports. They will come to you and say they are too busy or the work is too hard or you can do it better than they can. If this happens to you, help them with the project or get a subject matter expert to help them; do not take it over. - Jim McCormick
A common definition of perfectionism is seeing anything short of perfection as unacceptable.... Since the most common reason managers do not delegate is their uncertainty of the outcome, the issue of perfectionism needs to be addressed further. Many people mistakenly think perfectionism is a positive attribute. It is not. - Jim McCormick
There is a powerful management technique that takes this same approach, joining two different elements to create a strong connection. The two elements are the aspirations of your individual team members and the needs of your organization. When you can align the professional and personal goals of a team member with the needs of your organization, you have a committed and engaged employee. - Jim McCormick
The most successful managers artfully align the self-interests of their team members with the goals of the organization. - Jim McCormick
Motivation is getting people to want to do what needs to be done, willingly and not by force. The best managers spend time finding out what motivates their employees, blend those motivations with the needs of the organization, then create an environment in which their employees can be successful. - Jim McCormick
People don’t act upon the facts; they act upon their perception of the facts. It is one of the manager’s key duties to see that the facts and the perceptions are basically the same. - Jim McCormick
You bolster your credibility by providing accurate information in a timely manner. - Jim McCormick
If the employee is improving, lengthen the time between meetings. If he is not improving or is deteriorating, shorten the time. - Jim McCormick
You might start off with a statement like this: “Derek, you’ve been with us three months now and I think it’s time we had a conversation about how you’re doing. As you know, I have a great interest in your being successful on this job. How do you feel things are going?” - Jim McCormick
For example, you ask, “Do you think you’re getting close to the standards we’ve established for experienced employees?” If the answer is yes, you could ask, “Do you believe you’re performing at the same level as an experienced employee?” If the answer is again yes, then the employee may be out of touch with reality. The point is to continue asking questions of this type until you get the kind of response that will lead you into a discussion of the quality of the work. - Jim McCormick
You need to design your systems so performance that is below agreed standards comes to your attention quickly. It is vital that you know as soon as possible when performance is substandard so you can address it immediately. - Jim McCormick
“Management style is determined by the employee, not the manager.”
People have different threshold levels to change. - Jim McCormick
As a manager, not only do you have to be prepared to embrace change and be a champion of it, but also to accept and support changes that you may disagree with. It is best to admit that you do not like the change (as your staff may already know this), but state that you will actively support it and expect your staff to support it as well. - Jim McCormick
As a manager, not only do you have to be prepared to embrace change and be a champion of it, but also to accept and support changes that you may disagree with. It is best to admit that you do not like the change (as your staff may already know this), but state that you will actively support it and expect your staff to support it as well. - Jim McCormick
Managing change includes accepting change and supporting it, understanding why your team members may be resistant to it, and finding ways to reduce that resistance. - Jim McCormick
Does everyone you manage know the goals of both your team and the entire organization? Make sure they do. Keep it simple—ideally down to one sentence for each. - Jim McCormick
One of the best-kept secrets of successful management is the ability to listen actively. Active listening means letting the other person know that she has been heard. - Jim McCormick
Praise in public or private (depending on the preference of the individual and the dynamics of your team), criticize in private. - Jim McCormick
Your direct reports will have more to say about your future than your superiors. You are going to be judged by how well your team functions—the results your team delivers—so the people who now work for you are the most important people in your business life. Believe it or not, they’re more important to your future than the president of your company. - Jim McCormick
Management is about controlling and leadership is about inspiring. - Jim McCormick
Management is about coping with complexity; it brings order and predictability to a situation. But that’s no longer enough—to succeed, companies must be able to adapt to change. Leadership, then, is about learning how to cope with rapid change. How does this distinction play out? • Management involves planning and budgeting. Leadership involves setting direction. • Management involves organizing and staffing. Leadership involves aligning people. • Management provides control and solves problems. Leadership provides motivation. - Peter Drucker