Ten steps to better management: know your employees and know yourself.

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One of the top five reasons people leave organizations is because of the leadership, and this makes the effective management of employees of the "utmost importance" to companies, according to human resources consultant Heather Kinzie, SPHR. Leadership has a direct impact on employees' attitudes, work behavior and motivation. "Even if it isn't the only issue affecting retention, leadership certainly affects productivity, efficiency and the bottom line," says Kinzie, principal of Anchorage-based A Leading Solution. Kinzie provides business management consulting with an emphasis in human resources and has worked in her field for 12 years. In addition to consulting with clients on employee development, she teaches classes on various topics, including leadership, communication and conflict resolution.

To be effective, business professionals who oversee employees must think of themselves as more than just a manager or supervisor, Kinzie says. They should view themselves as leaders with the power to have a positive impact on their employees and organization. "I encourage people to think: "I am more than just a supervisor; I am a leader," she says "I'm going to lead the organization and encourage employees to get involved and work toward our objectives."

Patty Billingsley, PHR, CCP, feels strongly about the importance of effective employee management. It's the most critical aspect of a manager's job because employees are the backbone of the organization, says Billingsley, director of the Society for Human Resource Management Alaska State Council. She is also the human resources director for Anchorage's St. Elias Specialty Hospital, a 60-bed, long-term, acute-care hospital with about 75 contract and staff employees and a dozen managers.

"Without proper management, you can lose employees, which, in turn, can result in the loss of revenue, customers and your reputation," says Billingsley, who has 15 years in the human resources field. "Effective managers who can keep their employees engaged in their work are going to benefit the organization."

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But often, many managers lack the skills that are required to effectively supervise and direct personnel. There are a lot of very good practitioners--teachers who are good at teaching and nurses who are good at nursing--but they're not always good managers, Billingsley says. Many of those people get promoted to those roles because they're good at their job. "But their formal schooling doesn't necessarily teach them how to be a good manager," she adds.

To oversee employees effectively, managers must take a broad view of their function/role within their organization and think in terms of alignment, says J. Gwen Kennedy, Ph.D. Dr. Kennedy has been a consultant in human and organizational systems since 1986 and works with managers at all levels, from first-time supervisors to high-level executives.

"They should consider how their role and that of their employees fit with the company's business strategy, not just within their individual department. "Conceptually, a good manager could be doing a great job with employees, but be out of alignment with where the business needs to be," she explains. "Your particular area is not the only part of the organization. The whole organization needs to be aligned and moving in the right direction."

Taking a systems-perspective that includes not only their individual subordinates, but also the whole business environment is beneficial because it can help managers understand where they may be missing important data, Dr. Kennedy adds. "If you're only focused internally, you may be missing what's happening in the marketplace," she says. "If you're not concerned about your employees, you may miss why they're leaving the organization."

COMMON TRAITS OF GOOD MANAGERS

So what constitutes a good manager? There are thousands of traits that are common to good managers, Kinzie says, but her top three are integrity, global thinking, and having passion and energy.

Integrity, Kinzie says, is vital because it can impact how employees view and respond to managers. "You have to demonstrate integrity, and you have to build trust and respect from your staff," she says. "If they don't trust you or respect your decisions, they're going to dig their heels in the sand. If they trust you, they will honor your decisions and work toward your goals."

Global thinking is an important characteristic because if leaders are able to think strategically and incorporate their employees and stakeholders' opinions into their decision-making, they will find support for their initiatives, Kinzie says. "For example, if you have anticipated, reviewed and discussed many different perspectives, your employees will appreciate that your decision is sound." she says, "And if you've operated in a vacuum, your employees will question or be wary of what you've asked them to do."

In terms of passion and energy, a good leader has to have passion and energy not just for the vision of the organization but for their employees, Kinzie says.

10 TIPS FOR MORE EFFECTIVE MANAGEMENT OF EMPLOYEES

Fortunately, managers can work to improve their skills so they can manage their employees more effectively. To help, Kinzie, Dr. Kennedy and Billingsley shared the following strategies--in no particular order--for new, seasoned or struggling managers.

1. Delegate Effectively. People sometimes confuse delegation with being bossy, but that's not the case. To delegate effectively, you must know the skills of the employee and what you can comfortably hand off and feel like you don't have to hover over the employee to make sure he or she does the job right. You have to be able to be someone who lets go of work and trust that the employee is going to get the job done.

2. Make an effort to understand your employees. Make it a point to discover employees' likes and dislikes. Some employees don't like public recognition, while others thrive on it. Also when it comes to counseling employees on their job performance, some people like coaching and some like direct feedback. The same method will not work with every employee.

You have to understand what kind of personality your employees have. It's a matter of simply sitting down and talking to the employee about their aspirations and what it means to work for your organization. Try to get on their level and figure out what their needs are. Figure out how you can utilize their skills to advance not only the employee, but also the department and the organization. Knowing the things employees value in their professional lives, enables you to contribute to those things.

3. Show concern for your employees. Good leaders demonstrate that they care about their employees. You don't have to be their buddy, but you do have to show that you care about their well-being, aspirations and career goals.

4. Talk to your employees. This goes beyond increasing e-mails or staff meetings. Have a one-on-one discussion about organizational decisions, about employees' performance and asking them what they expect of you as a leader. Unfortunately, the importance of communication is often discounted by managers. Many think that it's overrated or they don't have time for it. However, communication is critically important.

Similarly, it's also important to get feedback from your employees. Feedback from the employees needs to be information in terms of the tactical aspect of the business, such as whether they have sufficient resources. Getting feedback enables you to determine whether you're on target and whether the organization is moving in a desired direction. For example, an employee can provide a first-hand perspective whether a customer is unhappy.

There should be a free flow of open and honest information. Such sharing of data through feedback is beneficial because it can help you make good decisions. Problems often happen in organizations where you have a narrow channel of communication. This doesn't necessarily relate to volume of information, but it relates to "stopgaps" or gatekeepers.

5. Ask good questions. No one has all the answers. Be able to ask good questions that give good data or open up your mind to find a solution. In particular, ask questions that provide feedback on alignment toward the target.

6. Know yourself. Having an awareness about yourself can help you make choices about how to act and react. For example, if you know that you're not a good systems thinker, then you can build a support system around yourself to help in that area. Your support systems should have "challengers" who will provide honest feedback. That person could be inside or outside the organization, someone in your professional field, or a mentor. Ideally, you should choose people who have been there and done that--someone who can give you a good perspective.

It's also important to know your leadership style and how to adapt it to fit different situations. Determine if you are an autocratic, democratic or laissez-faire leader. One is not worse than the other, but there is a time and place for each of them. A good leader--a good manager--needs to know when to be a dictator or when to seek input, versus take a hands-off approach.

7. Be a constant learner. Strive to be continually involved in professional development. Read industry publications, take classes and engage in self-reflection.

8. Set a good example. Your employees are always watching you. So always set a good example for yourself. This makes it easier for your employees to rise to your standards and level of expectation for them. And as part of setting a good example, be consistent in your decisionmaking, behavior and all other aspects of your job. Consistency paints a picture of reliability for your employees.

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