Are you a manager who rules your department with an iron hand? Do you hand out orders and strictly enforce them the way you want? Do your people want to perform well because they know how angry you get when this doesn't happen? If so, it may seem like you are in control of your department and a good manager. But you are not! It can also be done very differently. In fact; it can be much better.
Give confidence, motivate and delegate
When you rely only on your own skills, you will try to do everything yourself. What you do not have time for you reluctantly hand over to someone else and condemn when it is not carried out as you envision. However, a good manager knows the value of his employees and makes good use of their qualities. That means trusting, motivating and delegating.
"A leader is best when people barely know he exists, when his work is done, his aim fulfilled, they will say: we did it ourselves."
Lao Tzu - Chinese philosopher and founder of Taoism
It's not about your people doing exactly what you tell them to do because they are afraid of the reprimands that follow when they fail. What matters is that you give people trust and responsibility so that they perform at their best because they are motivated to perform well.
Inform, inspire and give recognition
Make clear what you want from your team, what goal you want to achieve together, and also share your plans for the future with your team. Only by keeping everyone fully informed will you function as one team and pursue the same goals.
Show interest in your people's work, give them appreciation when they take a step in the right direction, and give them the recognition that the work they do is important and that they are truly making a difference as individuals.
The result gets better, the work gets more fun
Avoid a culture of fear in your department where people perform tasks that have been imposed on them and any failure is mercilessly punished. Instead, create an atmosphere where you inspire people, give them trust, responsibility and intrinsically motivate them to do their best. You will see that this not only benefits your department's results, but also the atmosphere. After all, it is nicer to know that your manager has confidence in you and gives you appreciation when you do something well, than if your manager is constantly checking up on you and calling you on the carpet when you make a mistake.
Remko Gaastra is in charge of Dysel North America. He manages a team of industry experts to make equipment dealers in North America more successful.
