[WORKPLACE] So You Want To Be A Manager

Recently I was asked by a client to address a group of their first-time managers and to focus my training on the top 10 things every manager must know about human resources. Wow! What a request. The challenge was limiting the list to only 10 items! This was no easy task knowing that each day managers face countless "people" challenges ranging from legal liabilities to personality conflicts. After hours of reflection I proudly composed my initial list: only 28 items! Unacceptable. Days later, after reflecting further on thousands of consulting engagements in hundreds of industries over 15 jam-packed years, I narrowed the list to the top 10 things every manager must know about human resources.

If you’re considering management, you’ll want to review this list carefully. If you have an aversion to any of these points, think twice about management. Becoming a successful manager takes effort, patience, wisdom, commitment and a desire to continually learn. One other point: management is about people — if you don’t like working with people, management is not for you.

THE LIST. Here are the 10 things every manager must know about human resources:

1. The key to your success is to hire talent. And proper hiring takes time. If you’re not willing to invest the time, you increase the risk associated with hiring. You can either hire hard and manage easy or you can hire easy and manage hard. If you choose to hire easy, your costs, risks and time investment down the road are all significantly higher.

2. Employees will learn without training. That’s the danger. There are four ways to provide training: hit-or-miss, sink-or-swim, trial-and-error or structured and systematic. You pick. Either way, developing people is your No. 1 responsibility.

3. None of us was born a good leader. Managing today is just not what it used to be. Today it takes knowledge, wisdom, experience and, oftentimes, a trusted advisor. Find a mentor, read books, attend seminars and ask for help when you need it.

4. There are employment laws and regulations governing most of your decisions. Always run your management decisions (hiring, coaching, transfers, demotions, promotions, pay decisions and terminations) by a "jury" to ensure they are compliant, fair, legally sound and defensible.

5. You set the tone for the rest of the workers. As a manager, you are the company in the eyes of your employees. Your behavior and the choices you make can instill loyalty and dedication or anger and resentment in the hearts of your employees.

6. Sexual harassment = professional suicide. Don’t engage it, don’t allow it, don’t promote it (in jokes, e-mails, etc.) and don’t ignore it if it’s reported to you. The personal and professional liability is huge.

7. Little minds talk about people. Average minds talk about events. Great minds talk about ideas. Focus your efforts on objectives and outcomes, not problems or complaints about people. Influence thinking instead of trying to control results.

8. Avoid misdirected compassion. Don’t keep a poor performer around because he or she is a nice person. Your actions send a strong and less-than-positive message to others (customers and co-workers) that you tolerate substandard performance. Your credibility is at stake!

9. You cannot manage everyone the same way. Get to know your employees! Focus on their strengths and learn about their unique personalities. Tailor your communication to each employee to promote buy-in, positive feelings and understanding.

10. Coach — don’t discipline — your employees. You don’t have to make people feel bad in order to get them to act good. Always gain agreement and a commitment to change when coaching.

FINAL THOUGHTS. Although these "truths" may sound simple, they can make the difference between your success or failure as a manager and leader. If you’re a business owner, perhaps you’ll want to review this list with a potential management employee to help determine if the individual is willing and able to assume responsibility for the challenges that come along with managing people.

If you’re contemplating ownership, stay tuned . . . I’m about to tackle the top 10 list for owners.

The author is president of Seawright & Associates Inc., a management consulting firm located in Winter Park, Fla. For the past 15 years, she has provided human resource management and compliance advice to employers across the country. She is the author of The Employment Genie and can be contacted at 407/645-2433 or jseawright@pctonline.com.