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The Dynamic U-Method™ of Management For Creating Higher Employee Productivity and Business Loyalty

Written by: Greg Bacon

Article Overview: Many years ago, struggling to learn the ropes as a young manager, I had the good fortune to stumble upon a gentleman who was one of the finer managers I've ever had the pleasure of knowing. This man had a genuine knack for getting along with his 300 employees, inspiring them to give “100%,” while maintaining quality standards far superior to anything else in his industry. His business operation was always profitable, even in those cyclical “lean times”, seemingly because of one reason ... superior employee morale! Therefore, it is with great pleasure that I can offer you an opportunity to review and understand a potentially better way for managing your employees for higher productivity and loyalty.

The Dynamic U-Method™ of Management For Creating Higher Employee Productivity and Business Loyalty

INTRODUCTION

Many years ago, struggling to “learn the ropes” as a young manager, I had the good fortune to stumble upon a gentleman who was one of the finer managers I've ever had the pleasure of knowing. This man had a genuine knack for getting along with his employees, inspiring them to give “100%,” while maintaining quality standards far superior to anything else in his industry. His business operation was always profitable, even in those cyclical “lean times”, seemingly because of one reason ... Employee Morale!
As I grew more experienced, I was intrigued by his management methods for success. However, as I was soon to discover, his methods were not uncommon to other successful businesses. Unique management styles which create self-worth among employees, are the common denominator for almost all successful and progressive companies.
The more I observed, the more apparent was one indisputable fact. When employees were happy ... the businesses flourished! When employees were not happy, management seemed to struggle with their companies ... even in the best of times! That's also when I realized that good management is much more than purely watching the numbers.

U-Method™ Of Management

For better establishing the connection between you as the reader and my own management philosophy, I would like to share a unique glimpse into the U-Method™ of Management.

(The "U" stands for ... “U”nderstanding and working with employees for the purpose of increasing employee self worth, individual and team productivity, and business profits.)

Good management is your key to success! It is complex in its nature, requiring special talents, techniques, and a positive focus in order to be effective. It is made difficult because of incorporating people, productivity, and direction into one package of responsibility.
It is, without a doubt, a most difficult undertaking if you have had little or no experience, and certainly a task, which requires continual effort if you are to be effective. Good managers are motivators of people, reasonably good decision-makers, and forward-thinking leaders.
Good leadership –– that which entails positive communication of a clearly defined objective –– can easily be explained by what I have come to observe as my ... U-Method™ Of Management.
The U-Method™ brings together in a visual form the responsibilities management has to “U”NDERSTAND its leadership position relative to the future of the business, needs of employees, and the customers served.
The U-Method™ also provides your employees with a basis for understanding the responsibilities necessary for the prosperous continuation of the business respective of management’s decision, and for providing clearly defined levels of acceptable performance for each position. Let us begin looking at this concept more deeply by taking each part of the “U” and understanding its application and importance.

The BASE of the “U”

The BASE of the “U” will become the stated and written minimum levels of acceptable performance for a position. It is equal to a job description, which defines skills and other criteria needed to properly function in the position.
The BASE creates the understanding needed between you and your employees and gives you a realistic standard to judge performance. It helps to alleviate any frustration the employee may feel
should your performance requirements not be initially made clear.
The continuity and understanding, which both you and your employees can share by having performance levels fully understood at the beginning, helps relieve management-employee pressures as the business progresses and grows.

The SIDES of the “U”

The SIDES of the “U” represent the parameters in which your employees can function without prior management approval, while the value of providing such parameters allows for self-flexibility in accomplishing the task within the framework designed for progress and growth. It serves the human need for acceptance, security, and self-worth through “responsible” manager guidance.
By defining a given set of employee decision-making parameters for a specific position, you have eliminated the need for constant supervision. Your employee will accept greater responsibility and take a higher “personal pride” in the task at hand. The employee - without continual monitoring - will feel much more dedicated toward obtaining quality end results.
When employees are granted participation in the decisions concerning their performance, this self-monitoring management style provides a proven foundation for building self-worth within each employee, while laying a positive educational groundwork for your future supervisors and executive managers.
By observing the SIDES of the “U” it is easy to visualize that the wider the sides can be extended, the more specific flexibility in “employee job decision-making” is being granted. By opening the “U,” increased job and self-fulfillment are attained, loyalty is increased, turnover reduced, creative solutions more abundant, positive daily worker morale raised, much higher self-stimulated productivity observed, and management-employee friction virtually eliminated!
As the SIDES of the “U” narrow, more supervision is required on your part, with employee innovation, self-worth, security, and motivation becoming rapid in their decline. Instead of increased productivity and quality within your employee ranks, you effectively stymie desire in all aspects of the work environment, while wearing yourself thin trying to micro-manage all aspects of your business.
If you choose to narrow the SIDES of the “U” even more, to the point where only you are making petty job decisions as a manager, then get ready for short tempers, friction, and reduced leadership capacity.
When your objectives are clear, levels of acceptable performance established, and human needs for developing employee self-worth realized, your need to stymie employee creativity will only serve to undermine your business potential. The sidewalls in my U-Method™ Of Management represent the boundaries for your employees –– and the limits you have placed on yourself for directing and managing effective growth.

The Final Portion Of The “U” Is The Element Of Openness Found At The TOP

The open TOP is the visual example representing unlimited potential for management, employees, and your overall business. It is the motivating segment, which allows for a proper relationship to occur between you as the manager, and your employees. The open TOP provides the creative scope for each individual and your total team efforts. It is this “creative scope” represented by the Open Top, which sustains your employees in their quest to accomplish long-term business objectives.
When an individual is placed in a business environment, which is conducive to personal growth and creativity, and one which focuses on a clear, constructive objective, the end result is motivation and high productivity. When this management level is attained your business will receive the maximum benefits available for its own survival. Your employees will help see to it!
Interestingly enough, this management concept has many of the basic characteristics of child rearing. These basics include such things as: levels of expectancy, parameters and guidelines for acceptable and secure functioning, and unlimited potential for creative personal growth. (It’s unique that adulthood is very similar to childhood when applied to the workplace environment. Especially, if your objective is to produce positive behavior patterns with higher productivity.)
If you’ll notice, the basics of the U-Method™ Of Management provide the same beginning and ending as proper child development. People are people, no matter what their age. And they DO function much better when given clear parameters, than if left alone to perform the task without knowing what is acceptable to their parent or supervisor.
For you as an owner/manager, and for your employees, risks must be taken to gain and grow, and your management responsibility is to be aware of those risks. Then, create the best possible environment for a positive, productive manager-employee relationship. When attained, your business and its future will be in the best hands possible. Your productivity will soar and quality will remain at a premium. The need for your supervisory time will diminish and reduced turnover rates will make training much more cost-effective. Under this management-model, responsibility toward customer awareness and future profits will become the unspoken reality, permeating throughout your organization.
When using our U-Method™ Of Management model wisely, you’ll find it to serve you well for creating a more competitive small business structure having much less management-employee friction, and for creating extraordinary employee productivity and loyalty within your work environment.

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