How to Have a Management Philosophy
If we are good at our work and work hard, it’s likely that one day we’ll wake up to find we’ve been promoted to manager. Or maybe you started a small business and in what feels like the blink of an eye, wake up and have 3 employees that depend on you and your leadership. No matter how it happened, there is no way to ignore it. There are people that depend on you. Not only is it important to continue to deliver excellent work, now you need to learn to manage and lead others. This new promotion seldom comes with extensive management training. You can often feel as though you are being thrown headfirst into the role without much guidance. In many instances, this lack of people training can lead to failure. Poor management is the top reason for staff turnover. So how can you prevent this from happening to you? Stay focused on the work that got you here and dive headfirst into learning about how to develop a team and take care of people. Sounds hard. But one thing that helps is something you already know. Understanding what you believe and how you work is powerful. Organizing those thoughts allows you to better understand why and how you work. And communicating it out is the first step in helping your people understand you a bit better helps them work more effectively for your company or for your team. So, what do you call those fundamental beliefs? A management philosophy. And you have one, you just may not have organized it yet.
Why does having a philosophy work?
We all need to be grounded in who we are as managers and leaders. We need to follow our moral compass. This will help you lead your team. The biggest change for many business owners and new managers is not only the responsibility of driving work by managing people, but it’s being also responsible for their professional growth which can be quite a terrifying job role. However, the more consistently you follow and believe in your compass, the greater chance you will build a strong team who will look up to you and work harder.
Creating a management philosophy is not as hard as you may think. It simply requires you to write down those thoughts that you have had in your head all these years. Think back on old managers you’ve dealt with. Think of positive qualities that they had that inspired you. Or if you had poor management, think of what they did to make you feel that way. Were they micromanaging? Not believing in you? Or did it feel that way? Why? Was there a lack of caring for their job role and the business? Laziness? What did that look like? Why did you interpret it as such? Simply think of how you would like to help others and how you wished others would help you. Once you have thought through the good and the bad, you can begin to apply it to your newfound role.
One of the most important goals of teaching is to change negative attitudes into positive ones; to inspire others. Praise them for doing a job well done. Inspire them to believe in themselves, and to trust you and your guidance. Put your best effort into every task you do. This will inspire others to do the same. It is also important to be fair, provide honest feedback, and discipline when necessary; most of all, to do these things consistently. Consistency is key to developing a strong team and work environment. Commit to quality in your work. Do not do things halfway or with low effort. Otherwise, you will receive the same.
These are just some examples to guide you as you step into a new role with people responsibility, officially moving from an individual contributor to a people manager. As you write your own or maybe even refine what you have, think about what values and behaviors are important for your team to exhibit. These will also become a reflection of you, your company, and how well you trained them. What will you require, and will you measure these outcomes? If you have experience leading people, and you’ve been communicating your management philosophy, think about how you can help teach new managers the skillsets you’ve learned and developed. What can you share about your successes and failures?
Maybe we are jumping ahead and you have not yet grown your small business enough to need additional employees yet, or you haven’t snagged the position as manager at work but are going to be going in for an interview soon. Keep in mind, if you are an owner, the new hires are likely to ask you what your management philosophy is and how it relates to the culture you want to build in your company. If you’re the one interviewing for this kind of job role, chances are the interviewer will ask you about your management philosophy. Since management styles and core values can differ between professionals, organizations, and industries, it’s important to have thought this through and know how you want to respond when you encounter the question. Besides touching on your core values, give examples of how you applied your philosophy in past roles. How did this lead to success? Relate to how you will apply these skills to your future role or to the future of your company.
If you are unsure of your exact philosophy statement, start with your thoughts on these skills and highlight them in your response:
- Consistency of communication
- Ability to delegate projects and tasks
- Open-mindedness to feedback and how you like to receive it
- Capability to organize and plan
- Interpersonal skills such as compassion and empathy
In the end, if you take on your new responsibility with compassion for others, hard work, and dedication, you will be taking the first step to leading yourself and others to success.
