A practical, real-world training manual for mid-level management Managing to Make a Difference presents a leadership guide for those in the middle. The C-suite has a wealth of resources for leadership guidance, but middle managers face a quandary: often given little guidance on how to excel, they are also under enormous pressure to do a variety of things other than "lead." This book provides much-needed tools and techniques for building a high-performing team—without letting your other duties suffer. Organized around a coherent philosophy and based on solid research, the discussion offers a roadmap to engagement, talent development, and excellence in management. From difficult situations and organizational challenges to everyday motivation and inspiration, these techniques help middle managers achieve the goals of their organization while empowering their workers to achieve their own.
Talent development is probably not your full-time job—yet it drives the engagement that results in high performance. This book shows you how to hit the "sweet spot" of middle management, with a host of tools and strategies to help you help your team shine.
- Motivate, inspire, and lead your team with confidence
- Manage through challenges and overcome obstacles
- Develop key talent and maintain high engagement
- Adopt practical management tools based on substantiated research
Most organizations direct the majority of their development resources to the C-suite, but still expect their mid-level managers to attract, engage, retain, and develop talent; but successfully juggling everyday duties while maintaining team performance and leading around roadblocks leaves little room for management planning. Managing to Make a Difference offers the solution in the form of tools, techniques, and practical strategy for a high performing team.
Table of Contents:
Preface xi
Acknowledgments xiii
Introduction xv
Section I Cultivate Positive Relationships 1
Chapter 1 Relationships Create Opportunities to Make a Difference 3
Chapter 2 Get to Know Your Employees 7
Chapter 3 Go Ahead, Get Close to Your People 11
Chapter 4 Accept People as They Are 17
Chapter 5 Tolerate Undesirable Behaviors 21
Chapter 6 Make People Significant 25
Chapter 7 Prioritize One-on-Ones 31
Chapter 8 Don’t Make Relationship Conflicts Worse 37
Chapter 9 Apologize 43
Chapter 10 Forgive 47
Chapter 11 Cultivate a Great Relationship with Your Boss 51
Chapter 12 Embrace the Ebb and Flow of Relationships 55
Section II Accelerate People’s Growth 59
Chapter 13 Abandon the “Follow Shirley” Method 61
Chapter 14 Help People Self-Actualize 65
Chapter 15 Coach to Improve Performance 71
Chapter 16 Optimize Fit 75
Chapter 17 Set the Right Expectations 79
Chapter 18 Ask the Right Questions 83
Chapter 19 Kick Butt the Right Way 85
Section III Maximize Engagement and Motivation 87
Chapter 20 Emphasize the Why 89
Chapter 21 Meet People’s Needs 91
Chapter 22 Don’t Sit on Good People 97
Chapter 23 Resist the Temptation to Seize Control 101
Chapter 24 Empower Your People 105
Chapter 25 Harness Discretionary Effort 115
Chapter 26 Solicit Volunteers for Unpopular Tasks 119
Chapter 27 Create a Sense of Urgency 121
Chapter 28 Set Challenging Goals 123
Chapter 29 Be Unreasonably Optimistic 125
Section IV Build Extraordinary Teams 127
Chapter 30 Recruit Continuously 129
Chapter 31 Bet on Talent 133
Chapter 32 Ensure the Right Fit 139
Chapter 33 Match the Right People to the Right Training 141
Chapter 34 Delegate to the Right People 145
Chapter 35 Ask for Commitment 149
Chapter 36 Invest Your Time with Top Performers 151
Chapter 37 Conduct Occasional Team-Building Events 153
Chapter 38 Advance from Team to Family 157
Chapter 39 Avoid the Peter Principle 159
Chapter 40 Don’t Lead People On 163
Chapter 41 Sometimes Firing Someone Is the Caring Thing to Do 167
Chapter 42 Never Badmouth Top Performers Who Resign 171
Chapter 43 Don’t Always Take the Easy Way Out 173
Section V Shape Your Culture 177
Chapter 44 Focus on the Right Things 179
Chapter 45 Exemplify Cultural Values in Employee Orientation 181
Chapter 46 Welcome and Integrate New Team Members 183
Chapter 47 Adjust to Accommodate New Employees 187
Chapter 48 Curate Your Organization’s Folklore 189
Chapter 49 Enliven Cultural Values and Expectations 193
Chapter 50 Provide Frequent, Candid Feedback 197
Chapter 51 Shape a Culture of Recognition and Appreciation 201
Chapter 52 Emotionally Rehire People 209
Chapter 53 Celebrate Personal and Professional Accomplishments 213
Chapter 54 Ask, “How Can I Help?” 215
Chapter 55 Encourage Employees to Have Fun 217
Chapter 56 Address Poor Performance 219
Chapter 57 Address Bad Behavior 223
Chapter 58 Exert Moral Authority 227
Chapter 59 Rise Above the Politics 231
Chapter 60 Don’t Chase Hearsay, Rumors, or Gossip 235
Chapter 61 Speak Positively about Those Not Present 237
Section VI Embrace Change 239
Chapter 62 Embrace Uncertainty, Be Confident, Instill Hope 241
Chapter 63 Encourage Suggestions: Have an Appetite for New Ideas 243
Chapter 64 Don’t Strive for 100 Percent Buy-In 247
Chapter 65 Take Action on Legacy Employees 251
Chapter 66 Replace Employees Who Are Blocking Change 255
Chapter 67 Overcommunicate During a Management Transition 257
Chapter 68 Prepare for the Unknowable Future 259
Section VII Invest in Your Own Growth 261
Chapter 69 Develop Yourself 263
Chapter 70 Define What Success Means to You 265
Chapter 71 Spend More Time on the 20 267
Chapter 72 Build Your Strengths 271
Chapter 73 If You Have Been Newly Promoted, Just Take Charge 273
Chapter 74 If You Feel Trapped in Your Job, Change Something 275
Chapter 75 Take Steps to Fit in on a New Job 279
Chapter 76 Hire Some People Who Can Replace You 281
Chapter 77 Find a Mentor 283
Chapter 78 Become a Better Mentee 285
Chapter 79 Express Your Gratitude 289
Notes 291
About the Authors 295
Index 297
