manager focused skills phyllis nance director, kern county dcss terrie hardy-porter director,...

Manager Focused Skills

Phyllis Nance

Director, Kern County DCSS

Terrie Hardy-Porter

Director, Sacramento County DCSS

Welcome to Manager Focused Skills

“The manager as a supervisor of improvement projects may be likened to a juggler. At any one point in time he has a number of balls in the air. Periodically, one comes down, receives a short burst of energy, and goes up again. Meanwhile, new balls wait on the sidelines and, at random intervals, old balls are discarded and new ones added.”

Mintzberg (1973, p. 81)

There are times when we can feel like this…

The Focus

Dan Thurman on Focus

Video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lf9gru443aA&feature=share_email

The Focus

• Management Roles

• Management Work

• Leadership Roles

Manager Roles – “People People”

Mintzbergs Managerial Roles

Interpersonal Roles:

• Leader

• Liaison

• Figurehead

Manager Roles – “Know Everything”

Mintzbergs Managerial Roles

Information Processing Roles:

• Monitor

• Disseminator

• Spokesperson

Manager Roles – “The Buck Stops Here”

Mintzbergs Managerial Roles

Decision-Making Roles:

• Entrepreneur

• Disturbance Handler

• Resource Allocator

• Negotiator

The Work Never Ends

Research indicates the following:

• The typical manager works long hours, which includes taking work home

• The managers day is filled with a variety of short duration activities

• Many of the activities managers deal with are in reaction to what others bring them

The Nature of Leadership

The definition of leadership has not easily been defined by the research.

The assumption most research share with regard to the subject is that leadership involves using an influence process to facilitate the performance of a collective task

Leadership Roles – “Task Master”

Effective leadership behaviors as identified by the Ohio State University and University of Michigan Leadership Studies:

Task-oriented behavior:

• Focus on planning and scheduling work• Coordinating staff activities• Providing what the staff need to

effectively do their job

Leadership Roles – “Relation Builder”

Relations-oriented behavior:

• Showing trust and confidence in staff• Acting friendly and considerate• Trying to understand staff problems• Helping to develop staff and further their

careers

Leadership Roles – “Relation Builder”

Relations-oriented behavior (con’t.):

• Keeping staff informed• Showing appreciation for staff ideas• Allowing for staff autonomy to do their

work• Providing recognition for staff

contributions and accomplishments

Leadership Roles – “Team Builder”

Participative leadership:

• Use of group meetings to facilitate participation in decision-making, improve communication, create an environment of cooperation, and facilitate conflict resolution

Role Conflict

With so many roles and demands from all directions (subordinates and superiors)…there are times when incompatible demands are made on the manager, which create role conflicts and you may feel like this…

Keep Your Focus And…

Stay Calm and Know Your Role

• Understand the demands and constraints of your position

• Expand your range of choices by changing your perspective

Stay Calm and Know Your Role Toolbox

Develop a Leadership Philosophy to use as a guide

• Start With Why You Want To Lead• Understand What You are Leading• Choose How You Lead

Keep Your Focus And…

Stay Calm and Manage Your Time

• Determine what you want to accomplish

• Analyze how you use your time

• Plan daily and weekly activities

• Avoid unnecessary activities

Stay Calm and Manage Your Time

• Conquer procrastination

• Take advantage of reactive activities

• Make time for reflective planning

Stay Calm and Manage Your Time Toolbox

• Time study yourself• Identify where you are spending your time

• Create to-do lists• Prioritize activities based on importance

• Get professional help• Use an organizing/planning product that fits

your style (i.e., Covey organizer/planner)

• Block out time specifically for you

Stay Calm and Manage Your Time Toolbox

• Eat the elephant one bite at a time• Break complex/difficult tasks into manageable

pieces

• Increase your IQ• Use experts around you to increase your

knowledge and skills

• Spring clean all year long• Reduce or eliminate unnecessary activities

• Believe you can• Use an affirmation tool

Keep The Focus And…

Stay Calm and Plan

Research indicates that most planning done by managers is informal and adaptive

• Agendas are developed by managers that relate directly to their job duties

• Implementation of short-term agenda items are typically made through a managers influence techniques during their daily interactions with people

Stay Calm and Plan Toolbox

• Make an appointment with yourself• Set aside time

• Know what matters • Identify key result areas

• Know what you can control• Understand the departmental

connections and interdependence of your strategies

Stay Calm and Plan Toolbox

Set your Guiding Principles

• Ensure your strategies:• Will not harm the dignity of your staff or cross

ethical boundaries• Will not harm the relationships you’ve built

with your colleagues in order to accomplish a divisional goal

• Will not impair the department’s overall ability to accomplish its mission and reach the vision

• Will not impede the delivery of outstanding customer service

Keep The Focus And…

Stay Calm and Problem-Solve

• Identify important problems that can be solved

• Look for connections among problems

• Experiment with innovative solutions• “do it, fix it, try it” Peters and Waterman (1982,

p. 13)

• Take decisive action to deal with crisis

Stay Calm and Problem-Solve Toolbox

Understand what you control, influence, or have no control over

Control

Influence

No Control

Where are you spending your time?

Adapted from Covey, S. R. (1989). The 7 habits of highly effective people. New York: Free Press.

Stay Calm and Problem-Solve Toolbox

• Have a copy of your emergency management plan handy

• Prevention, Preparedness, Response & Recovery

• Keep an idea bank

Keep The Focus And…

Stay Calm and Make Decisions

The research indicates that managers were usually observed making decisions without a model or strategic process for making decisions

• Decisions weren’t made at a single point in time

• Often managers were unable to recall when a decision was finally made

• Organizational politics play impact decision-making

Stay Calm and Make Decisions Toolbox

• Use a decision-making tool that aligns with organizational vision, mission, and values

• Lots of Models• OODA Loop• Stakeholder Analysis• Vroom-Yetton-Jago

Stay Calm and Make Decisions Toolbox

Sample Model

Clearly define the issue/concern/suggestion✷ clarify the goal(s) ✷ what is the desired outcome✷ what does it look like fixed

 Determine the facts

✷ research✷ understand parameters

 Develop options

✷ what are the alternatives✷ remember to think creatively - stretch

 Consider the consequences

✷ what are the benefits of each option✷ what are the consequences of each option

 Choose

✷ Things to consider when choosing an option:• Does the suggestion support the vision, mission, and values of the department?• Is the suggestion a win/win solution for all parties involved? If not is as close as possible to a

win/win for all parties?

Adapted from Josephson, M. (2002), Making Ethical Decisions, Los Angeles: Josephson Institute of Ethics.

Stay Calm and Make Decisions Toolbox

Sample model

•Is the decision consistent with carrying out the mission of the department?

(No...find another direction)• Does it violate any applicable laws and/or regulations?

(Yes...look for another way)• If implemented will it harm the dignity and/or growth of our employees?

(Yes...there’s a better way, find it)• If implemented will it support outstanding customer service (internal and

external)?(No...make a different decision)

• Does it set an example of what we want see in future decisions? (No...take another direction)

• If we take this path are we addressing the issue in its whole or just parts? (No...why not…?)

Keep The Focus And…

Stay Calm and Manage

• Know your needs, emotions, abilities, and behavior

• Develop relevant skills• Remember that a strength can become a

weakness• Compensate for weaknesses • Find your passion

Keep The Focus And…

Stay Calm And Inspire

• Vision - Make Sure Everyone Can See Where You Are Going And See Themselves Going With You.

• Inspiration - As A Leader Know That Sustaining Motivation Comes From Inside Inspiration.

• Accountability - Set The Expectation That Everyone Shares Accountability

Stay Calm and Inspire Toolbox

Kouzes & PosnerFive Practices of Exemplary Leadership

• Model the Way

• Inspire a Shared Vision

• Challenge the Process

• Enable Other to Act

• Encourage the Heart

Stay Calm and Inspire Toolbox

Model the Way

• Clarify values by finding your voice and affirming shared goals

• Set the example by aligning actions with shared values

Kouzes & Posner (2007), pp. 14-26

Stay Calm And Inspire Toolbox

Inspire a Shared Vision

• Envision the future by imagining exciting and ennobling possibilities

• Enlist others in a common vision by appealing to shared aspirations

Kouzes & Posner (2007), pp. 14-26

Stay Calm And Inspire Toolbox

Challenge the Process

• Search for opportunities by seizing the initiative and by looking outward for innovative ways to improve

• Experiment and take risks by constantly generating small wins and learning from experience

Kouzes & Posner (2007), pp. 14-26

Stay Calm And Inspire Toolbox

Enable Other to Act

• Foster collaboration by building trust and facilitating relationships

• Strengthen others by increasing self-determination and developing competence

Kouzes & Posner (2007), pp. 14-26

Stay Calm And Inspire Toolbox

Encourage the Heart

• Recognize contributions by showing appreciation for individual excellence (notes: look for achievement and recognize

• Celebrate the values and victories by creating a spirit of community

Kouzes & Posner (2007), pp. 14-26

What Tools Will You Use

Bibliography

Covey, S. R. (1989). The 7 habits of highly effective people. New York: Free Press.

Josephson, M. (2002). Making ethical decisions. Los Angeles: Josephson Institute of Ethics.

Kouzes, J. M., & Posner, B. Z. (2007). The leadership challenge (4th ed.). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Mintzberg, H. (1973). The nature of managerial work. New York: Harper & Row.

Peters, T.J., & Waterman, R. H., Jr. (1982). In search of excellence: Lessons from America’s best-run companies. New York: Harper & Row.

Yukl, Gary. (2006) Leadership in organizations (6th ed.). New Jersey: Princeton Hall.

Contact Information:

Phyllis NancePnance@co.kern.ca.us

Terrie Hardy-PorterPortert@saccounty.net