Rules of Management

Introduction

Managing your team

• Get them emotionally involved
• Know what a team is and how it works
• Set realistic targets – no, really realistic
• Hold effective meetings ...
• ... No, really effective
• Make meetings fun
• Make your team better than you
• Known your own importance
• Set your boundaries
• Be ready to prune
• Offload as much as you can – or dare
• Let them make mistakes
• Accept their limitations
• Encourage people
• Be very, very good at finding the right people
• Hire raw talent
• Take the rap
• Give credit to the team when it deserves it
• Get the best resources for your team
• Celebrate
• Keep track of everything you do and say
• Be sensitive to friction
• Create a good atmosphere
• Inspire loyalty and team spirit
• Have and show trust in your staff
• Respect individual differences
• Listen to ideas from others
• Adapt your style to each team member
• Let them think they know more than you (even if they don't)
• Don't always have to have the last word
• Understand the roles of others
• Ensure people know exactly what is expected of them
• Have clear expectations
• Use positive reinforcement motivation
• Don't try justifying stupid systems
• Be ready to say yes
• Train them to bring you solutions, not problems

Managing yourself

• Work hard
• Set the standard
• Enjoy yourself
• Don't let it get to you
• Know what you are supposed to be doing
• Know what you are actually doing
• Value your time
• Be proactive, not reactive
• Be consistent
• Set realistic targets for yourself – no, really realistic
• Have a game plan, but keep it secret
• Get rid of superfluous rules
• Learn from your mistakes
• Be ready to unlearn – what works, changes
• Cut the crap – prioritize
• Cultivate those in the know
• Know when to kick the door shut
• Fill your time productively and profitably
• Have a Plan B and a Plan C
• Capitalize on chance – be lucky, but never admit it
• Recognize when you're stressed
• Manage your health
• Be prepared for the pain and pleasure
• Face the future
• Head up, not head down
• See the wood and the trees
• Know when to let go
• Be decisive, even if it means being wrong sometimes
• Adopt minimalism as a management style
• Visualize your blue plaque
• Have principles and stick to them
• Follow your intuition
• Be creative
• Don’t stagnate
• Be flexible and ready to move on
• Rememeber the object of the exercise
• Remember that none of us has to be here
• Go home
• Keep learning – especially from the opposition
• Be passionate and bold
• Plan for the worst, but hope for the best
• Let the company see you are on its side
• Don’t bad-mouth your boss
• Don't bad-mouth your team
• Accept that some things bosses tell you to do will be wrong
• Accept that the bosses are as scared as you are at times
• Avoid straitjacket thinking
• Act and talk as if one of them
• If in doubt, ask questions
• Show you understand the viewpoint of underlings and overlings
• Add value
• Don’t back down – be prepared to stand your ground
• Don’t play politics
• Don’t slag off other managers
• Share what you know
• Don’t intimidate
• Be above interdepartmental warfare
• Show that you'll fight to the death for your team
• Aim for respect rather than being liked
• Do one or two things well and avoid the rest
• Seek feedback on your performance
• Maintain good relationships and friendships
• Build respect – both ways – between you and your customers
• Go the extra mile for your customers
• Be aware of your responsibilities
• Be straight at all times and speak the truth
• Don’t cut corners – you’ll get found out
• Find the right sounding board
• Be in command and take control
• Be a diplomat for the company

End game

Expert Reviews

Whether you are new to management or an old hand, there is plenty of useful advice here……..

The book is easy to read, concise and clear. It’s great to read a management book that isn’t full of dull case studies, or stupid buzzwords, just sensible advice.

The Market, 2nd July 2011

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