good managers focus on employees’ strengths, not weaknesses <\/i><\/p>\n
marcus buckingham knows enough about good management to know he’s not a good manager, according to the wharton school at the university of pennsylvania. <\/p>\n
before his career as a management consultant, buckingham headed the gallup organization’s “strengths management” practice. he was a manager, and he wasn’t much good at it.<\/p>\n
“i wasn’t terrible, but i had no appetite for it,” said buckingham, who spoke about management and leadership at the wharton leadership conference.<\/p>\n
the best managers share one talent — the ability to find, and then capitalize upon, their employees’ unique traits, according to buckingham, author of such books as “first, break all the rules: what the world’s greatest managers do differently” and “the one thing you need to know…about great managing, great leading and sustained individual success.”<\/p>\n
“the guiding principle is, ‘how can i take this person’s talent and turn it into performance?’ that’s the only way success is possible.” and yet not everyone has that knack, buckingham said.<\/p>\n
what’s he learned from his years spent interviewing the best minds of the business world? just this: the really great managers, and really inspiring business leaders, are a rare breed.<\/p>\n
“some of you in this room may not have that talent,” he said. “if not, management can become a thankless task.”<\/p>\n
how to tell a good manager from a bad manager? <\/b><\/p>\n
according to buckingham: bad managers play checkers. good managers play chess. the good manager knows that not all employees work the same way. they know if they are to achieve success, they must put their employees in a position where they will be able to use their strengths. <\/p>\n
“great managers know they don’t have 10 salespeople working for them. they know they have 10 individuals working for them …. a great manager is brilliant at spotting the unique differences that separate each person and then capitalizing on them.”<\/p>\n
it boils down to this: focus. focus on only those things that only you can do. drop or delegate the rest. too many finance and accounting professionals we meet are trying to do too much because they can’t, or won’t, follow this simple rule.<\/i> <\/b><\/p>\n
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