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