There are thousands of managers out there, trying to recruit, train and retain their staff. They all want the same thing: To earn the respect of their direct reports, to please their bosses and to avoid that so often come with people managerment. What are the qualities of a good manager?  We have listed the following qualities. Do you have all or some of them? Are you confident? A healthy level of self-confidence is required to succeed at being a manager. Having confidence in

Most people dread having to speak to someone about something unpleasant. Whether it is to broach a difficult topic with your boss or someone you manage, it takes courage to speak up. There is never a ‘right’ time to do it, hence we offer the following tips to get you started: Think with the end in mind. Ask yourself “What do I want to achieve?”. This helps to remind yourself to stay on track during the conversation instead of being dragged into argumentative stance. State the

Writing skills are as important in electronic messages as in paper communication. Not everyone is skilled at writing emails or knows when email is required. Here are some tips to follow that will cut down time spent on writing emails: Choose your recipients with care. Plan to send copies to only those people who absolutely need the message. To help recipients prioritize email, highlight in the subject header whether the email requires any type of action. For instance “New pro

New managers who are conducting performance appraisals for the first time can be overwhelmed by the sheer amount of information accumulated on their employees over the year but is unsure how to use the information to assess performance. The first step would be to look at the goals that were set at the beginning of the year. For each goal that was set, use the following questions to guide you: Has the employee achieved this goal? Why or why not? How do I know whether the emplo

A coaching observation checklist provides guidance for managers in observing whether coaching is done correctly and will make performance coaching much more effective.  Download our useful checklist now! Coaching Observation Checklist

New managers can be very naïve. They assume that all it takes for employees to work together effectively is to give them a clear goal upfront, express faith in their ability to collaborate, and dangle the right reward if they succeed. Sadly, it is never that easy. Just because you form a team and urge everyone to pull together to achieve a common goal for the organisation does not assure employees will buy in. Employees need to understand what they are supposed to do and why

During tough times, such as crises or layoffs, over-communication is better than under-communicating with your staff. Being secretive or elusive about it may lead to rumours and low morale which could potentially be more damaging to the company than the bad news itself. Let us take a look at some key points to remember when communicating during tough times. Choose the right channel. The importance of face to face interaction becomes vital during tough times. Managers have a h

When effectively administered, feedback is a powerful way to build knowledge and skills, increase motivation, and develop reflective habits of mind in employees. The following are the right ways to give feedback. Feedback on both good and bad performance  It is important to highlight to the employee what he has been doing correctly thus far to give him assurance in his work. Giving good feedback also helps to prep the individual to receive the “not so good” feedback in a posi

Identify and celebrate their successes, highlight specific examples of their achievements, ensure that strong performers do not stagnate and prompt them to reflect on how they can improve on themselves within the context of their strengths are 4 tips to recognize strong performers during appraisals. 1. Identify and celebrate their successes. Thank them for their contributions and let them know that you appreciate the hard work done for the year. 2. Highlight specific examples

When there are serious performance issues, coaching is a good start towards remediation. It involves a time commitment on the part of managers, yet it will be effective in helping your underperforming employee move towards the right direction. 1. Start by identifying and helping the employee improve on his areas of weaknesses. You will need to guide the employee through setting short-term goals, monitoring his progress closely and scrutinizing his work. 2. Enlist the help of

A difficult person can be an individual who has a different perspective of the world from you, but he may also disrupt order at work. Here are some strategies to help you in dealing with difficult people at work:   Overpowering - Uses anger as a destructive weapon Strategy to handle overpowering behaviour: - Let them express their anger - Try to empathise - Get to the root cause once they have calmed down   Unresponsive - Uses silence as a weapon Strategy to handle unresponsi

Effective coaching is more of how you do things rather than what you do. It is about the attitude and approach that the manager needs to adopt that will make coaching effective. Here are some attributes of an effective coach. 1. Observant: Be aware of what is happening and what isn’t happening. A good coach needs to pay attention to what your employees are saying and what they are not telling you. 2. Sensitive: Care about how your employees feel and not just about how they do

In any job, most bosses do not judge you on what you do, but how you do it. Here are the 5 qualities that most bosses expect of their employees: 1. Proactive People who take initiative at work make things happen. A person who is merely reactive to events or waits for instructions is a drain of energy and waste of resources. To be proactive, you will need foresight in anticipation of obstacles and think of solutions to resolve such issues. 2. Ambition Ambitious employees are m

It is easy to get caught up in the day to day routine of work that you forget about your career advancement needs. When it comes to planning your career, no one knows better than you where your dreams and talents are. Here are 5 tips for successful career planning. Focus on specific career goals and list down the exact steps for attaining each of them. To-do lists and timetables will help you to organise your plan to achieve each milestone. Update your resume frequently so th

There needs to be a certain degree of compatibility between the mentor and mentee in order for mentoring to be successful. Here are some factors to consider when matching mentors to mentees.  1. The mentor should be accessible to the mentee  It should be relatively easy for the mentee to make contact with the mentor, based on the means that is agreed between both parties.  2. The mentor must be willing to take on the mentoring role  As a mentor, your role is not to simply tel

Managing a team’s performance is more challenging than individual performance management. What happens if your team is not performing? Here are 5 ways for managers to fix underperforming teams: 1. Identify the factors leading to the poor performance. Talk to the team members individually, stakeholders and key executives. Ask questions that will uncover the reasons behind the underperformance.  Questions to consider include: Has performance always been substandard? Are all tea

Common Pitfalls in Employee Performance Reviews When you review and make conclusions about your employees’ performance, it is essential to be aware of common pitfalls that can lead to erroneous judgments. These mistakes can damage your credibility in the eyes of both your employees and your superiors. Some of these errors include: 1. Over-emphasis on Recent Events While recent events closer to the performance appraisal period might be fresh in your mind, it is important not t

In most negotiation processes, persuasion is necessary to convince others to accept our opinions and increase your influence on them. Here are 4 really effective persuasion techniques you need to know:     1.  Let them say ‘No’ Give the other party a chance to say ‘no’ by making a ridiculous demand. Once they have turned down your requests, put forward a more reasonable demand. This may serve to make the other party feel more obligated to make a concession.  For instance, th

If you are reading this, you know you are ready to take a step further in your career . You love your organisation but is itching to get ahead.  You want to prove to your boss that you have got what it takes to get to the next level. You are complacent in your current role and is willing to take on more responsibility and workload. Nothing highlights an individual’s achievement more than a promotion at work. Here are 5 strategies that will help you get promoted at work:  1. B

There are some conversations that we worry about having.   Most of us are cautious about what we say to our bosses, as the slightest slip-up may break our career. But what happens when your boss is the one who slipped up? Telling your boss he or she is wrong can be a sticky situation. Managers and leaders make mistakes - after all, they are humans too. Errors made at their level can be costly. Not only is money lost, reputation and even the organisation’s image can be at stak