Effective Management - A Short Guide to Inspiring Others by Action

Being an effective manager is key for women (and men too) who inspire others by action. There are 5 Upward Action steps necessary to be an inspiring and motivating leader.

1. Goals and Expectations. Establish clear goals and expectations (in the form of action items for each individual), put them in writing and make sure they are publicized to all necessary persons.

2. Commitment. Emphasize to the team the importance of being committed to the actions designed to make the team’s goals a reality – and demonstrate your commitment to the Upward Action necessary to make the goals a reality through your words and action. Note:It takes words and actions to really demonstrate your commitment – neither one of these is completely effective alone.

3. Consistency. Make sure that your actions regarding rewards and repercussions for performance are consistent. When your team knows what you expect because of the consistency in your management style – they gain confidence that their work and contributions will be recognized and rewarded when they achieve the clearly defined expectations and goals that have been appropriately publicized (see point 1).

4. Fair and Balanced Leadership. Learn to manage without hostility or guilt. The goal is to be a fair and balanced manager/leader.  When goals and expectations are made clear (see point 1) and your enforcement of the actions required to make them a reality is consistent, you are able to develop the ability discipline as appropriate without hostility or guilt. Your ability to master this skill will go a long way in inspiring and motivating your team to make their very best contributions.

5. Firm and Authoritative Leadership. Be willing to exercise authority when needed.  You are the manager; therefore, it is your responsibility to solicit input from your team and then be able to integrate such input into a final decision that you will make. This is a difficult, but important, skill. Effective managers are team players and decision makers.

At UpwardAction Coaching, we can help you develop and refine the skills described above as well as develop your personal management and leadership style.

Until next time … Take Great Care!

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