Rules for Successful Staff Management by Meir Ezra

If you can successfully manage people, you get more done and do more good with a group than you can as an individual. You are paid well because you are valuable to your company or organization. In fact, the best-paying jobs in this world are given to managers because good managers are so rare.

Managing people is a skill anyone can learn. Like operating a computer or repairing a car, you simply learn how management works, get some experience and bang! You're a good manager.

Unfortunately, they do not teach people management skills in traditional schools. Even business schools do not teach you how to hire people, improve their performances, resolve their disagreements, boost their morale and so on. Until L. Ron Hubbard worked out the skills and techniques you need for managing people, you had to learn how to manage on your own.

In the previous article two weeks ago, we described six rules for Successful Staff Management. These next six rules are also based on the article by L. Ron Hubbard called "How to Fill Jobs."

*Be sincere about your purpose.

Of course, before you can be sincere about your purpose, you need to work out your purpose as a manager. Examples: "Help my staff produce more than ever." "Ensure my group reaches the objectives established by my boss." "Support the purpose of our organization and make our customers very happy."

Once you have your purpose, you must be genuine about it. If you are insincere about your purpose, as a manager, you will fail.

For example, Lucy says her purpose as a restaurant manager is to help thousands of people eat healthy food, while enjoying a pleasant environment. But in reality, Lucy's real purpose is to get as much money for herself as possible, no matter what it takes. So she buys low-quality food, pays employees as little as possible and steals the extra cash. She quickly fails as a manager because the customers hate the bad food and lousy service. The restaurant owner catches her stealing and calls the police.

David, on the other hand, sincerely wants to run a fantastic hair salon. He makes deals with the best hairdressers in town so they all get bonuses IF the shop succeeds. David's sincerity shows in his actions. For example, he personally calls all customers a few days after their appointments to ensure they are still happy. Dave succeeds and the owner lets him buy in as a partner.

*Never send angry or upsetting written communications.

E-mails, memos, notes and letters are permanent records. Everything you write may be stored in a file forever. As a manager, you learn that sooner or later, some of your nasty notes will come back to hurt you.

For example, your assistant makes you angry when she forgets to mail a check. You write a note that says, "Flo, you stupid, stupid cow! Take that _____ check to the post office right now!"

One year later, Flo becomes your boss's assistant. While walking to an appointment with your boss, you pass her big new desk and notice your "stupid cow" note laying there.

*Do not load your staff with so much work that they do not feel they are succeeding.

Managers get a bad reputation when they demand more than their people can handle. For example, your delivery people ship 1000 boxes per day. You demand 2000 boxes per day, with no extra help. They work very hard and get 1200 boxes shipped. They are proud of their increased production, but you are not.

You yell and scream for 2000 boxes. They realize they will never meet your demands and just pretend to try. They call you "Mr. Hitler" behind your back.

Because they no longer care about their jobs, they drop to 750 boxes. They decide you will be firing them all, so why try?

As YOU are getting fired, you realize you should have been happy with 1200 boxes. You should have then figured out how to reach 2000 boxes without overloading your team.