My last post was about things you can do to get promoted, so I thought I’d follow through on that and talk about what comes next. Just because it says manager (or something like that) at the end of your business card does not mean you have all the answers.
So where do we start?
- Once again, you are going to want to get a clear understanding from your direct supervisor as to the performance expectations and daily/weekly/monthly activities of your job. Having them makes it SO much easier to tell if you’re doing a good job or not! And they should be things that are trackable so you can measure your progress over time.
- Next, you need to know which people you’ll be working alongside on your same level. How do their departments and job functions interact with yours? Your company should all be one team, and one of the keys to success is if all departments are working in sync with one another. What pain points have those other managers had in the past with your department? What (if anything) can you quickly fix to gain some “wins” and build trust with the other managers?
- Lastly, don’t forget about your direct reports. Remember that you are personally responsible for their success or failure, so you’d better do the same deep dive with them as the other managers. What opportunities lie in front of you? You want to gain their trust as soon as possible, especially if you’re coming from another company and they don’t know you. Once they see that you’re there to help them, you have a foundation to build upon for future success.
That encompasses the “honeymoon period” and probably will only get you through the first month or so. After that, you need to get some traction on those actionable items you agreed to with your supervisor. What tools are available?
Meetings – I know, I know, they’re the bane of our workplace existence. They are necessary, however. It’s just a matter of having the right meetings at the right time. I remember listening to Tony Robbins talk about how he does it, beginning with the question of “What is the goal of this meeting?” When that question is answered, the meeting is over. And he’s a guy who runs a number of companies, so his schedule is probably much busier than the average person.
Coaching – This one can sometimes throw people for a loop because they mistake it with training. Training is showing someone how to do something (critically important when onboarding a new employee who has never done the job before), whereas coaching is more of a one-on-one enhancement of what’s already known and focused on employee development. My friend Sean Kelley over at Car Motivators is a master in teaching people the difference between the two. Look him up, you won’t regret it.
Processes – ah yes, another old friend. If you don’t have any, you’d better figure out a way to get some. The only way to improve is to measure how you’re doing right now versus where you want to be. This isn’t just for business by the way, but that’s for another post. If you’re in sales, write down all the steps required to gain a sale. Yes, I said all the steps. Then look at what KPIs you can track and measure to improve on a daily, weekly and monthly basis. How many people do you need to call/text/email to get an appointment? How many appointments do you need to get a sale? These are things that can be measured over time to see true performance.
This is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to your success as a manager or leader. Ongoing success requires you to continually evaluate you and your team’s performance and look for ways to get better. If you can focus on getting a little better each day, soon enough those small increments turn into huge gains.
What tips and tricks have you found on your way toward bigger and better things in the business world? What worked and what didn’t? I’d love to have your feedback.
Make it a great day!
Dan
