Dealing with Subordinates

Mini Lesson
Dealing with Subordinates

Time planning needs take a quantum leap when you enter management!

< Listen before you decide to skip this lesson!

Managers have some additional issues with personal management in four primary areas:

Setting the example — Clearly a manager must set the example for subordinates: in the corporate world it is monkey see, monkey do. A well-organized manager can insist on well-organized subordinates, when their own affairs are in order.
People management — Delegation can make or break a new manager; nothing will limit upper mobility quicker than a manager who cannot effectively delegate.
Keep the monkey where it belongs — Often, everyone who comes near has a monkey they are looking to get rid of. The buck should not stop at your office. You must learn to say "no" or your life will become miserable in management.
Performance management —The hated performance appraisal can be an effective management tool if used properly.

Delegating is more than giving orders!

Do you find yourself taking work home in the evenings and on weekends? Are you under constant pressure, jumping from one task to another? Do you find yourself too involved in doing things to spend enough time on planning, organizing, directing and controlling?

Delegation extends results from what you can do to what you can control. It frees time for more important tasks, allows you to plan more effectively, and helps relieve the pressure of too many jobs, too many deadlines, and too little time. It is one of the most effective ways of developing your staff and family.

Improper delegation however, is worse than no delegation at all. It not only creates a greater demand on your own time, but messes up your staff members' time as well. Be careful what you delegate, how you delegate and to whom you delegate.

Don't delegate what you can eliminate. If it's not important enough for you to do personally, it's probably not important enough for your people to do either. Respect their time and their abilities. Don't waste it on non-productive or unprofitable trivia. Your success can be multiplied a thousand times if you concentrate on the high-return jobs, and encourage others to do likewise . . . don't spoil it by using your staff as a dumping ground for "garbage" jobs.

Delegate the things you don't want to delegate. We tend to hang on to the things we like doing, even when they interfere with more important tasks, and even though others could probably do them just as well. Share the interesting work with your staff. One of the most important advantages of effective delegating is the fact that it enriches your staff members' jobs. Don't confine your delegation to the boring, repetitive tasks—look for the interesting ones first.

Delegate, don't abdicate . . . dumping jobs onto others and then disappearing is not delegation—it's organizational suicide. Delegation must be planned. Consult with your staff first; select people you think are both capable of doing the job and would like to do the job. Delegate gradually, insist on feedback, and then leave them alone.

Delegate the objective, not the procedure. One of the bonuses you receive from effective delegation is the fact that in many cases the job is better in the hands of someone else. Don't resent it . . . encourage it. Delegate the whole task or specific results, de-emphasizing the actual procedure. Your staff, under less pressure, less harried, and with a fresh viewpoint, will likely improve upon the method you've been using. Review results, not the manner in which he or she arrived at them!

Don't always delegate to the most capable people. Delegation is one of the most effective methods of developing others. Don't continually delegate to the most capable ones, or they'll get stronger, while the weak get weaker. Take the extra effort to spread delegation across the board, and develop a strong team with no weak links.

Trust your staff. Be sure to delegate the authority as well as the responsibility. Don't continually look over their shoulder, interfere with the methods, or jump on them when they make mistakes. Be prepared to trade short-term errors for long-term results. Maintain control without stifling initiative.

Delegation is not only a skill, it's a way of life. And like everything else, in order to be effective, you have to work at it. Here is a checklist:

Plan before you delegate
Decide to whom you will delegate
Confirm it in writing
Confirm their receipt (verbally)
Set a deadline
Resolve priority dates
Follow up and evaluate
Reward

Learning to say no!

Getting someone else to accept your responsibilities is a natural human instinct. A manager who has an open door policy and a sign that says, "the buck stops here" is a natural target for "bucking it up the line."

Just say, "no" or, if that seems too harsh, practice "Let me think about it." Your staff is hired to provide customer service; your job is to run an effective, efficient organization. If you really can't bear to say no to any request (including those from your church, family or the soccer team), assertiveness training may be good for you, as your staff is likely to abuse you mercilessly.

Often, people are uncomfortable turning down a request for one of several reasons: they don't want to appear confrontational; they don't want to seem to be rejecting the requestor, being asked to do things makes them feel important; they feel that saying "no" will stymie their career; or they like being incredibly busy.

To make saying "no" easier, review your priorities. Determine if you are the best person to do the task, based on your priorities, responsibilities and strengths. Don't postpone the decision. Say "no" quickly so the requestor can find someone else to do the task. People appreciate honesty ("No, sorry but I can't do that"). If a person says "yes" but is reluctant or unenthusiastic, odds are they will not complete the task or will do a poor job. So better to say "no" initially and let the requestor find someone who is enthusiastic than to reluctantly say "yes" and do a poor job. It does not leave a good impression of your capabilities or reliability.

Suggest solutions or alternatives when you say "no." Even if the request does not meet your criteria for what you should spend your time on, you may have some good ideas. Offer them and then offer to do some part of the task. Learn to say "no" without feeling guilty.

The performance evaluation

Many of us feel uneasy about annual performance evaluations. Some even dread the idea of sitting through one with their supervisor. But human resources and management experts say there's no need for employees to feel anxiety when it comes time to discuss their job performance.

Most employees are doing a reasonably good job—if they weren't, they wouldn't still be at their jobs. Workers with performance problems know they have problems and there's not much you can do about anxiety there. But if you approach appraisals with a positive mindset, it's an opportunity to learn things that will help you do your job better and further your career. They really are worthwhile.

Employers evaluate employees' performance for several reasons, but basically, the annual job review is a communication tool. It's intended to be a summary of all the feedback a supervisor provides an employer over a year (if it's done correctly). It's also an opportunity for employees to talk to their supervisors about their strengths and the areas they need to improve on in their jobs.

Employers also use performance appraisals to motivate workers. Everyone who has a job wants to be the best they can be. If appraisals are done right, they can lay out a course for achieving that goal.

The concept of employee performance evaluations isn't flawless, however. A lot of employers still use them to punish workers instead of helping them develop. Ideally, an evaluation should highlight an employee's strengths and pinpoint areas for potential growth.

Experts also say many managers either fail to explain to employees what they expect from them or clearly define the standards and criteria they use to evaluate performance. That just sets up employees, and the process, for failure. There have to be specific goals set, so that evaluations don't become subjective and ignorance can't be used as an excuse. The pitfalls of appraisals can be avoided. Among the experts' suggestions:

Don't make performance evaluations a single, one - time event — Supervisors should give employees feedback regularly. If supervisors don't do that, then as an employee, ask for it. Spend 10-15 minutes talking about how you're doing and where you can improve.
Document performance — As a supervisor, keep a record of employee achievements, contributions and problems. As an employee, do the same. When it comes time for the review, there aren't any surprises. And if there's a discrepancy, there's hard evidence to make an argument.
Conduct job review sessions in a neutral place —That way both sides feel comfortable enough to discuss evaluations. If there isn't one available and it has to be done in a supervisor's office, the manager should get out from behind the desk to make employees comfortable.
Don't just focus on examples of substandard performance — Review all facets of the performance including the areas that are above average.
Don't just look at the last few months' performance — It's an annual review, so the whole year should be examined.
Set goals — Once the appraisal is finished, set goals for the next year and map out a course of action to help meet those goals.