Ann Francke is chief executive of the Chartered Management Institute, Britain’s professional body for management and leadership. After more than two decades in senior executive roles at Mars, Boots and Yell, here is what she has learnt to become a better manager.
1. Ask for feedback, don’t just give it. It’s rare to see leaders asking for feedback from their teams. Doing so builds trust and can help you to become aware of your blind spots and how your behaviour affects others. Remember, feedback is positive as well as negative, say thank you.
2. Hire people who aren’t like you. Human instinct is to hire in our own image. Hire those who are strong in areas that you’re not. You’ll get better results that way.
3. Coach, don’t micromanage. Micromanagement is one of the most common bad management behaviours. Try to coach, rather than do it yourself. Allow people the space to make their mistakes, correct them and learn from them.
4. Call out bad behaviour. Nothing is worse than leaders tolerating toxic behaviour. It sends the signal that it’s OK for others to ignore it and will undermine your people’s belief that your organisation’s values really matter.
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5. Focus on outcomes, not face-time. Flexible working tops the list of employee asks and makes good business sense. Implemented well, it can boost staff recruitment, retention and engagement.
6. Invest in yourself. Four out of five new managers lack any formal training, they’re “accidental managers”. Management is a skill that needs to be honed, so invest in training that helps to boost your confidence and abilities.
