REPORT: 8 key skills Page 1

The 8 key skills of successful

managers (Or: How to be an even better manager than you

already are!)

A FREE guide from

The NAKED Marketing Company

Some good old fashioned, honest, down-to-earth and practical support to

help your business grow & prosper

Congratulations on becoming a Manager!

You’ve worked hard for it. You deserve it. You’re on your way to the top. Well

done!

Now, all you’ve got to figure out is: What does “being a manager” mean?

What’s involved? What – exactly - is “managing”? And how and why is it

different from what you were doing before?

One day you weren’t a manager; the next day, you were. So what happened?

What changed? You are still the same person, with the same capabilities,

competencies and characteristics as you had before. You have the same

skills, abilities and knowledge that no doubt were a key factor in getting you

appointed as you had before when, apparently, they weren’t. It’s as if you

have crossed some sort of invisible line that has taken you from where you

were to where you are now: a manager.

This brief guide aims to describe, to lay out, some principles of “managing”

that are designed to help your “managing” become

- easier, more successful and more rewarding to do

- more likely to achieve the results you want

- more fun

The ideas expressed in these pages are drawn directly from hundreds of

hours of interviews, surveys, and conversations with people about what they

think, feel and believe about their managers, about their own abilities as a

manager, and about what they feel a manager should be and do.

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There are lots of books and conferences and seminars and magazine articles

and training courses and exhibitions about how to “do” managing. Or, to be

more accurate, about how to “do” managing better or smarter or more

efficiently. They’re about how to be a “good” manager, a “better” manager.

Which supposes as a base line that the way you are currently “doing”

managing is at best lacking something and at worse, is rubbish.

This is not a guide on how to “do” managing better or smarter or more

efficient or otherwise.

This guide is about what BEING a manager means. (Or ought to!)

So, let’s start with a definition of managing, because it’s a definition that lies

behind… that drives and directs… the 8 key skills of successful managers

described here…

DEFINITION: A manager is someone given responsibility for people and

resources in order get done the things that need to be done in a specific

area of work within an organisation.

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The 8 key skills of successful managers:

1. Show the way

Develop a vision of the way forward – of the future. Involve employees in

shaping the vision so that you can…

Gain commitment and “sign up” – these are SHARED goals.

Ensure that the vision, and people’s contribution to it, is in keeping with the

company’s values, ethos and legal/statutory requirements.

Make it real, tangible. This is not some fine words – a mission statement - on

a poster on the wall; it’s a genuine objective that the company… that the

team… must achieve.

Everyone in the team must be able to “see” the vision as real, tangible and

achievable. They must be able to understand their own contribution – where

they fit into - the achievement of the vision.

Set timetables and milestones along the way to achieving the vision.

Get the views of the team about what obstacles they imagine would get in

the way of achieving the vision.

Make sure any doubts are voiced and shared… and encourage others to

suggest solutions.

Be open about time constraints and budgetary and resource limitations.

Anticipate and plan against possible future risks.

Make sure everyone knows what they need to do and by when, then set them

to their tasks.

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2. Manage change

Any new way forward, any new scheme or project, will involve change… and

not everyone will be comfortable with that. So, individual as well as team

responses to the change will need to be anticipated, monitored and

managed.

Be the leader with changes and innovations. Show there’s nothing to worry

about.

Lead by example. Including doing the menial, grunge tasks as well as the

tough tasks – “if I can do this, anyone can”

3. Delegate

You’re the manager – that doesn’t mean you have to do EVERYTHING. It also

doesn’t mean you have to do nothing except get everybody else to do

everything.

Generally, people enjoy being given responsibility. Responsibility motivates

people to “grow” into their new, expanded role and to accomplish it with

distinction in order to win praise and recognition from their colleagues and

their managers.

Find out the strengths of individuals within your team and allocate tasks that

allow them to play to their strengths wherever possible. Allow people to

“shine”.

Give individuals “ownership” – let them be the manager – of specific tasks. In

this way, all your people can feel part of the process, they will share in the

experiences and the responsibility. This is a shared vision, remember.

Delegation is not a sign of the manager’s weakness or unwillingness or lack

of ability; it is a sign of the manager’s strength and confidence in the

abilities of his team… the team he/she has created.

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4. Mark the team’s achievements

and results “along the way”

Ensure there are easily identified and commonly agreed “milestones” along

the way to achieving the overall vision.

Keep the team on track, on time and on budget to achieve

objectives/milestones.

Celebrate the achievement of objectives/milestones. It doesn’t have to be

champagne and streamers every time – that would devalue the really

important achievements – but a little “well done, team” always goes down

well and encourages people to work even harder to achieve the next

milestone.

Celebrate as a team, mark out individuals for praise where praise is due.

Say Thank you and Well done.

Let the team take credit for achievements. After all, while you as manager

may have directed their efforts, they are the ones who actually did the work

to make it happen. And even if, in truth, it was mostly you, it’s a good idea

to highlight the contribution of individuals and the team in order to

encourage future effort.

Let the team self-manage the journey from one achievement to the next – it’s

not all down to YOU!

5. Meet customers’ needs

Always listen to what your customers are saying. Listen to what your

competitor’s customers are saying.

Promote products/services that your customers are talking or asking about.

Look for and win new contracts to supply.

Under-promise and over-deliver to customers. Solve the customer’s

problems, ensure quality, deliver what you say when you say.

Exceed customers’ expectations so that they are pleasantly surprised and

thankful for what they get from you.

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Foster an attitude of going above and beyond the call of duty among your

team.

If you don’t actually serve the customer, how about serving those who do?

6. Work well with others

Build relationships with your team, with colleagues, with others inside and

outside your department and elsewhere in the organisation.

Become friends with suppliers and stockists, with customers and hoped-for

customers, with others operating in your field, with associates in

professional bodies.

Develop networks and informal partnerships.

Remember: you can manage dogs and you can manage horses, but you can’t

manage people – people will only agree to be managed if they reckon

you’re a nice person to work with.

7. Manage resources

Audit what resources, including personnel, skills and knowledge, are

available to achieve each project.

Keep projects on track, on time and on budget. And within the resources

available to achieve them.

Make sure everyone has what they need to complete their tasks, in advance.

If there aren’t enough resources, find them! Remember: A manager is

someone given responsibility for people and resources in order get done the

things that need to be done in a specific area of work within an organisation.

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8. Manage yourself

Do YOU have the necessary skills, knowledge and information to manage

and achieve the project? If not, where can you get them from? You may need

to better equip yourself, if not for this project, then for future ones.

Ensure your contribution is more than just telling other people what to do –

be involved, be hands-on, be prepared to make a mess of it. A “head down,

sleeves up” manager is likely to win more respect – and better performance -

from his team than a manager who is isolated in his/her office. And a

manager who is prepared to screw up – and laugh at themselves for doing so

– will endear themselves to their team… provided they don’t keep screwing

up!

The biggest compliment a manager can be paid is when his people say,

“Look at we’ve achieved – without you!”

A thought to leave you with…

Behave as you would wish to be as a manager and soon and before you know

it, you will be as you wish to be.

The way to become a “better” manager is by being a better manager.

If you’ve “got something out of” this free guide that you think may be useful,

interesting or relevant to you, your management role or your business in

future, it would be wonderful if you’d write and tell me about it at

enquiries@thenakedmarketingcompany.com

In the meantime, you may know someone who even now is struggling with

their Managing and perhaps you feel that they too might enjoy and “get

something out of” The 8 key skills of successful managers (Or: How to be an

even better manager than you already are!)

If so, please send me their details at

enquiries@thenakedmarketingcompany.com and I will personally send them

a copy with your compliments.

Best wishes and thank you again.

Philip J Gwynne

The NAKED Marketing Company

http://www.thenakedmarketingcompany.com

enquiries@thenakedmarketingcompany.com

REPORT: 8 key skills Page 8

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The NAKED Marketing Company

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How to be an even better manager than you already are.

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REPORT: 8 key skills Page 12

The NAKED Manager (Or: How to be an even better manager than

you already are)

The trouble with “managing” and “management” is that there are so many books,

conferences, seminars, workshops, training courses and exhibitions all offering

different definitions.

Which is the true definition? Which one is the new manager supposed to believe and

act upon?

This book aims to describe, to lay out, some principles of “managing” that are

designed to help your “managing” become

easier, more successful and more rewarding to do

more likely to achieve the results you want

more fun

But it’s not a book about how to “do” managing!

**Ask for a FREE independent business review and analysis from The NAKED

Marketing Company – it can help you assess where you are right now with your

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REPORT: 8 key skills Page 13

We provide what we believe to be the best available assistance

from the best available specialists in a cost effective and

professional manner. Our one aim is to help you CHANGE THE

FORTUNES OF YOUR BUSINESS FOR THE BETTER:

Philip J Gwynne, Director

The NAKED Marketing Company Some good old fashioned, honest, down-to-earth and

practical support to help your business grow & prosper

tel/fax 01274 413180 mob 07549 153391

enquiries@thenakedmarketingcompany.com http://www.thenakedmarketingcompany.com

Linked-In http://uk.linkedin.com/in/philipgwynne

REPORT: 8 key skills Page 14

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