Tweet

What type of Manager do you want to be?

Guest post by: Andrew Rondeau

Article Overview: In this article, I’d like to touch upon a real passion of mine – Continuous Improvement.

What type of Manager do you want to be?

In this article, I'd like to touch upon a real passion of mine - Continuous Improvement. I have worked in several companies where things take 4 or 5 times longer to complete just because of the bureaucracy or processes in place. How many times have you heard phrases like:

"That's the way we do things around here"

"We've always done it that way"

"We've tried to do that before and it failed"

"That's the process we have to use"

And many other statements just like it.

I've heard phrases like that hundreds of times.

As a successful and Effective Manager it is your job to instill an insatiable desire to continually improve your own and your staff's development and the service you provide. You must act quickly, resolve and/or remove all blockages and bureaucracy no matter how small, in order to allow your staff to be as efficient as possible.

Challenge the process - as a Manager that is what you are paid for.

Imagine the following 2 scenarios:

1. You are the Manager of the ‘widget making' department. Three years ago, you and your teams target was to produce 100 high quality widgets each day, everyday. For the past 3 years the target hasn't changed and you have met the target 99% of the time - great job well done.

2. You are the Manager of the ‘widget making' department. Three years ago, you and your teams target was to produce 100 high quality widgets each day, everyday. Over the last 3 years you have established an environment whereby continuous improvement is the norm. You and your team now make 150 high quality ‘widgets' each day, everyday. You have reduced the cost of

making each ‘widget' by 50% - fantastic job - well done.

Which Manager is more highly respected, credited, rewarded, praised and thought of, by their boss, peers and staff?

The Manager who is never satisfied by the status quo.

To be a successful and Effective Manager you must have an insatiable desire to improve your output, your quality, your service.

As the Manager you are accountable for establishing a Continuous Improvement environment.

One of the biggest keys to being a high performing Manager is seeing possibilities of improvement where others only see impossibilities.

Great high-performing Managers are fantastic Problem Solvers. They find solutions to improve, others see obstacles.

Now, which type are you?

Related Articles
  What have I learned in 6 months of management? Part 2
  Leadership Tips for the Manager Who is Too Tough
  You didn’t say I’d be fired!
  Jumping to Conclusions
  Empower Your Sales People By Providing Them With Positive Behavioral Feedback

Article Tags: by their boss, credited, In this article, others see obstacles Now, praised and thought of, rewarded, which type are you, your quality



Related Forum Posts
When Webhost providers go bad - I've had my websites on IPower for the last two years or so. I didn't really care much for their interface - geocities has one that's much better (but they angered me so I refuse to use them anymore) but I was used to it. For the last several months they've been "transitioning" to a new system, and now, finally, it's upon me, and I really, really hate their File Manager system. They've done [i:2kaa5kss]one [/i:2kaa5kss]good thing - you can now see the date that you last updated any particular file. Before that you never knew what date anything had been uploaded. But the rest of it is just clunky and bad and quite frankly, inept! I just shot off a pretty angry complaint letter to their "Help" desk, not that I think it will do any good. So I'm in the hunt for a new web service provider. Anybody here familiar with Geocities, but have some service provide [i:2kaa5kss]other [/i:2kaa5kss]than Geocities who has the same type of File Manager system as they do?
Outlook Business Contact Manager - I've just installed the new Outlook 2007 with Business Contact Manager and am testing it out to see how good of a CRM system it is. I like the concept because it works right within your Outlook and I already have all my contacts and emails here. Does anybody have any experience with Business Contact Manager for Outlook?
Re: what position to request? - Hi Michael, Great suggestion from David, or you could try something around a design consultancy, How about Website Design Consultant, Design and Development Manager, Website Support and Development Manager or maybe Internet Business Development Consultant. Ultimately whatever you are comfortable with and good luck for the future, Mal.
Level 4 - Manager - Looks like I'm the first to Level 4! I'm a Manager!
Re: what position to request? - Business Development Manager - is more or less ok... thank you. but I want something fancier... an executive position..


Share this article with your friends. Fund someone's dream.

Leave a comment below or share on the left and you'll help support entrepreneurs in Africa through our partnership with Kiva. Over $50,000 raised and counting - Please keep sharing! Learn more.

Tweet

Newsletter

Get advice & tips from famous business
owners, new articles by entrepreneur
experts, my latest website updates, &
special sneak peaks at what's to come!

Name:
Email:

Popular Articles

What is Give Back Marketing?

Do You Deserve To Be Happy and Successful?

Induction – your first management job

Suggestions

Email us your ideas on how to make our
website more valuable! Thank you Sharon
from Toronto Salsa Lessons / Classes for
your suggestions to make the newsletter
look like the website and profile younger
entrepreneurs like Jennifer Lopez.