Jonah Engler Says There is Power in Good Management

According to Jonah Engler , “at the heart of good management are good relationships”. Not only one-on-one relationships, but the dynamic between the team as a group. When a manager first takes a leadership position, it’s essential to create a team vibe rather than staking a leadership claim. If he has been blessed with great people on his team, they may very well be resistant to any orders, direction or new workflow. Only after the team members can feel his commitment to the team and ability to lead will they give him respect – and according to a Harvard Business article by Ms. Hill in 2007, “the more talented the subordinate, the less likely he is to simply follow orders.”

Over time, the manager will earn their respect, but the team needs to function well as a unit with or without him. This happens as a manager consults his team members, building open communication and allowing team members to do what they do best and love most within their individual jobs. Giving them the opportunity to learn and grow, expand their abilities, and ultimately to shine, receiving individual kudos, as well as team honors will go a long way in developing a good dynamic with your team.

Meetings

Meetings need not be formal, you might throw an impromptu pizza lunch on a Friday afternoon to allow your team to celebrate the end of the week. Get them talking about what has happened during the week to make them excited and what has been less so. Find out what they think might
have been a better approach and let the rest of the team interact creating a brainstorming session in a fun and upbeat environment.

Share the glory

When it comes time to report successes, inside the firm or to the public, share the glory. Consider ways to reward your team members that are a bit fun and silly, but give them something tangible to keep and remember their moments in the spotlight. If you have a press release about forward progress in the company that your team has facilitated, consider making individual trophies. Or you could have a specialty bakery make up trophy shaped cookies with each cookie listing special efforts of each team member with their first name. Take pictures with them holding their cookies!

Open door policy

An open door policy can be effective too, but you have to create a pattern of success coming from those meetings. You don’t want your door to be open and only ever hear what is bothering your team members. Instead, expect that if someone comes to you with a complaint or criticism, that is fine, but they need to also come with an idea or two on how the problem can be resolved effectively. This supports people getting creative on their own. Even if their idea isn’t great, but it can start the ball rolling to a better approach.

Management is about the team, about how they interact with each other and you. It’s about creating a comfortable environment for growth and creativity. Your job is to foster that aspect while keeping to the bigger picture goals of succeeding in the marketplace and with
your customers.

Jonah Engler is a NY based entrepreneur.