Coaching and NLP have been my partners in crime for the past 4 or so years. And in my experience I’ve learnt more about people than they would have wanted me to know at times. So today I’d like to share with you the 7 things I’ve found successful managers do:
Motivate through values. The stereotype of 20th century manager is using the carrot and stick to motivate their teams. Dan Pink along with an army of researchers in all fields of study have proven that, while that may work in certain cases, the scenarios in which it doesn’t are far greater. Successful managers know that the strongest motivation comes from within and people feel best when they are engaged. They are able to elicit the values and leverage them to motivate, engage, and [insert other desirable effects here].
Purpose vs. problem. Being solution-focused allows us to focus on what we want to achieve, rather that the things we do not want. Our brains do not recognise the words “no” and “don’t”. So when we tell ourselves “I don’t want to be late all the time”, “being late all the time” is what we really focus on. Also, seeking out the purpose instead of the problem dissolves the urge to assign blame.
Walk a mile in other people’s shoes. Successful managers not only look at the short- and long-term goals and make plans accordingly. They also look at challenges from many different perspectives and viewpoints as well. What would my customer, CEO, stakeholder say when I tell him so and so?
Change is the only constant. The VUCA model is gaining popularity because we’ve realised that everything around us is constantly changing and transforming. Successful managers are not afraid of not knowing everything. They know that they make the best possible decisions with the resources they have at any given moment.
Believe in yourself. The successful managers I’ve met over the years believe in the organisation and their skills. They are sure of how much they’re worth and don’t sell themselves short.
Task vs. people. The MBTI tells us you either have a preference for Thinking (focusing on the task) or Feeling (focusing on the individual’s values). A good manager can balance between both equally well. And they know that both are necessary for best results.
Learn and let learn. Continuing your professional development ensures at least one thing – if everything and everyone around you moves and you stand still, you’ll be worthless in little to no time. But what successful leaders also do is change the kind of thinking that gives rise to problems in the first place. And that is what the phrase “don’t treat the symptoms, treat the disease” is all about!
Before I wrap this up, I wanted to quote a short list by Joseph O’Connor on what the main contributions of NLP to best management practice are:
“NLP helps managers to understand people and how to motivate them
It models best so that important skills can be passed on to others
It models the business system so see how it can be improved
NLP helps manager to generate business and personal goals, and to integrate individual and organisational goals and values
It gives skills to make meetings shorter and more productive
It gives managers the skills to coach their people”
Wouldn’t you want to be the kind of manager that can do all of the above?