Read The Rules Of Management (Pioneer Panel's Library) Online
Authors: Richard Templar
The Rules Of Management (Pioneer Panel's Library)
A Definitive Code for Managerial Success, Expanded Edition
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© 2011 by Pearson Education, Inc.
Publishing as FT Press
Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458
Authorized adaptation from the original UK edition, entitled
The Rules of Management
, Second Edition, by Richard Templar, published by Pearson Education Limited, © Pearson Education 2011.
This U.S. adaptation is published by Pearson Education Inc, © 2011 by arrangement with Pearson Education Ltd, United Kingdom.
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Printed in the United States of America
First Printing May 2011
ISBN-10: 0-13-273310-2
ISBN-13: 978-0-13-273310-6
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Templar, Richard, 1950-2006.
The rules of management : a definitive code for managerial success / Richard
Templar. — Expanded ed.
p. cm.
Rev. ed. of: The rules of management : a definitive code for managerial success. 2005.
ISBN 978-0-13-273310-6 (pbk. : alk. paper)
1. Management. 2. Executives. 3. Executive ability. I. Title.
HD31.T45 2011b
658—dc22
2011011469
1. Get Them Emotionally Involved
2. Know What a Team Is and How It Works
3. Set Realistic Targets—No, Really Realistic
7. Make Your Team Better Than You
11. Offload as Much as You Can—or Dare
15. Be Very, Very Good at Finding the Right People
18. Give Credit to the Team When It Deserves It
19. Get the Best Resources for Your Team
21. Keep Track of Everything You Do and Say
24. Inspire Loyalty and Team Spirit
25. Have and Show Trust in Your Staff
26. Respect Individual Differences
27. Listen to Ideas from Others
28. Adapt Your Style to Each Team Member
29. Let Them Think They Know More Than You (Even if They Don’t)
30. Don’t Always Have to Have the Last Word
31. Understand the Roles of Others
32. Ensure People Know Exactly What Is Expected of Them
34. Use Positive Reinforcement Motivation
35. Don’t Try Justifying Stupid Systems
37. Train Them to Bring You Solutions, Not Problems
42. Know What You Are Supposed to Be Doing
43. Know What You Are Actually Doing
45. Be Proactive, Not Reactive
47. Set Realistic Targets for Yourself—No, Really Realistic
48. Have a Game Plan, but Keep It Secret
49. Get Rid of Superfluous Rules
51. Be Ready to Unlearn—What Works, Changes
53. Cultivate Those in the Know
54. Know When to Kick the Door Shut
55. Fill Your Time Productively and Profitably
56. Have a Plan B and a Plan C
57. Capitalize on Chance—Be Lucky, but Never Admit It
58. Recognize When You’re Stressed
60. Be Prepared for the Pain and Pleasure
63. See the Forest and the Trees
65. Be Decisive, Even if It Means Being Wrong Sometimes
66. Adopt Minimalism as a Management Style
68. Have Principles and Stick to Them
72. Be Flexible and Ready to Move On
73. Remember the Object of the Exercise
74. Remember That None of Us Has to Be Here
76. Keep Learning—Especially from the Opposition
78. Plan for the Worst, but Hope for the Best
79. Let the Company See You Are on Its Side
82. Accept that Some Things Bosses Tell You to Do Will Be Wrong
83. Accept That Bosses Are as Scared as You Are at Times
84. Avoid Straitjacket Thinking
85. Act and Talk as if One of Them
86. If in Doubt, Ask Questions
87. Show You Understand the Viewpoint of Underlings and Overlings
89. Don’t Back Down—Be Prepared to Stand Your Ground
91. Don’t Criticize Other Managers
94. Be Above Interdepartmental Warfare
95. Show That You’ll Fight to the Death for Your Team
96. Aim for Respect Rather Than Being Liked
97. Do One or Two Things Well and Avoid the Rest
98. Seek Feedback on Your Performance
99. Maintain Good Relationships and Friendships
100. Build Respect—Both Ways—Between You and Your Customers
101. Go the Extra Mile for Your Customers
102. Be Aware of Your Responsibilities
103. Be Straight at All Times and Speak the Truth
104. Don’t Cut Corners—You’ll Get Discovered
105. Find the Right Sounding Board
106. Be in Command and Take Charge
107. Be a Diplomat for the Company
Strange thing, management. It’s something few of us set out in life to do, yet most of us find ourselves doing at some point.
Careers adviser: What would you like to do when you leave school?
16-year-old: I want to be a manager.
Did this happen to you? No, me neither. But here you are anyway.
As a manager you are expected to be a lot of things. A tower of strength, a leader and innovator, a magician (conjuring up pay raises, resources and extra staff at the drop of a hat), a kindly uncle/aunt, a shoulder to cry on, a dynamic motivator, a stern but fair judge, a diplomat, a politician, a financial wizard (no, this is quite different from being a magician), a protector, a savior and a saint.
You are responsible for a whole gang of people that you probably didn’t pick, may not like, and might have nothing in common with and who perhaps won’t like you much. You have to coax out of them a decent day’s work. You are also responsible for their physical, emotional, and mental safety and care. You have to make sure they don’t hurt themselves—or each other. You have to ensure they can carry out their jobs according to whatever rules your industry warrants. You have to know your rights, their rights, the company’s rights, and the government’s rights.
And on top of all this, you’re expected to do your job as well.
Oh yes, and you have to remain cool and calm—you can’t shout, throw things, or have favorites. This management business is a tall order....
You are responsible for looking after and getting the best out of a team. This team may behave at times like small children—and you can’t smack them
*
(or possibly even fire them). At other times they will behave like petulant teenagers—sleeping in late, not showing up, refusing to do any real work if they do show up, quitting early—that sort of thing.
*
Yes, yes, I know you can’t smack children either. I was just making a point. Please don’t email me.
Like you, I’ve managed teams (in my case, up to 100 people at a time). People whose names I was expected to know and all their little foibles—ah, Heather can’t work late on a Tuesday because her daughter has to be picked up from her play group. Trevor is color blind, so we can’t use him at the trade show.
YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR A WHOLE GANG OF PEOPLE THAT YOU PROBABLY DIDN’T PICK, MAY NOT LIKE, MIGHT HAVE NOTHING IN COMMON WITH AND WHO PERHAPS WON’T LIKE YOU MUCH.
Mandy sulks if left to answer the phones at lunchtime and loses customers. Chris is great in a team but can’t motivate herself to do anything solo. Ray drinks and shouldn’t be allowed to drive anywhere.
As a manager, you are also expected to be a buffer zone between higher management and your staff. Nonsense may come down from on high but you have to a) sell it to your team, b) not groan loudly or laugh, and c) get your team to work with it even if it is nonsense.
You also have to justify the “no pay raises this year” mentality even if it has just completely demotivated your team. You will have to keep secret any knowledge you have of takeovers, mergers, acquisitions, secret deals, senior management buyouts and the like, despite the fact that rumors are flying and you are being constantly asked questions by your team.
You are responsible not only for people but also for budgets, discipline, communications, efficiency, legal matters, union matters, health and safety matters, personnel matters, pensions, sick pay, maternity leave, paternity leave, holidays, time off, time sheets, tight deadlines and leaving presents, industry
standards, fire drills, first aid, fresh air, heating, plumbing, parking spaces, lighting, stationery, resources, and tea and coffee. And that’s not to mention the small matter of customers.
AS A MANAGER, YOU ARE ALSO EXPECTED TO BE A BUFFER ZONE BETWEEN HIGHER MANAGEMENT AND YOUR STAFF.
And you will have to fight with other departments, other teams, clients, senior bosses, senior management, the board, shareholders and the accounts department. (Unless of course you are the manager of the accounts department.)
You are also expected to set standards. This means you are going to have to be an on-time, up-front, smartly dressed, hardworking, industrious, late-staying, early-rising, detached, responsible, caring, knowledgeable, above-reproach juggler. Tall order.
You also need to accept that as a manager you may be ridiculed—think
The Office
—and possibly even judged by your staff, shareholders and the public to be ineffective and even superfluous to the carrying out of the actual job in hand.
*
*
If this all makes you feel a bit bleak about being a manager—don’t be. Managers are the stuff that runs the world. We get to lead, to inspire, to motivate, to guide, to shape the future. We get to make a difference to the business and to people’s lives. We get to make a real and positive contribution to the state of the world. We get not only to be part of the solution but also to provide the solution. We are the sheriff and the marshal and the ranger all rolled into one. We are the engine and the captain. It’s a great role and we should relish it—it’s just not always an easy role....