I recently did a workshop for a group of CEOs at which the Chair asked the participants, “What single piece of wisdom have you learned about managing people?” Here are some of their responses:
- Don’t try to manage more than seven reports at a time.
- Be firm, but fair.
- Focus on the problem and not the person.
- Never look a gift resignation in the mouth.
- Be direct; people want the truth and nothing but the truth.
- Tap into the company’s informal communication network.
- Don’t take things personally (one of Don Miguel Ruiz’s Four Agreements).
- Never take sides.
- Listen (can you listen to someone for five minutes straight without any interruption, criticism, or judgment?).
- Be slow to hire and fast to fire (a popular topic in the workshop!).
- Bear in mind that a decision driven by emotion, is not driven by logic (or, as I like to say, if it doesn’t make sense, don’t try to make sense out of it!).
