We often hear about a bright, experienced employee who has been promoted.  In this new position, the employee will be leading a team – something he/she has never done before or been equipped to do.

 People are not born successful managers. It takes time, training and guidance from mentors and peers as well as hands-on experience to become an effective manager.  Those of us who are more experienced managers may find ourselves in a supervisory or mentoring position to help bring along less experienced colleagues.

How can you advise a new manager as he or she enters into this next phase of their  career?  Here are a few fundamentals you can share with someone who is tackling their first management opportunity. 

Managing people is both an art and science. The art of managing is recognizing that each person is different and will require a different style of communication and attention. This takes time, but being a manager is about giving time to your employees. A manager cannot assume that by managing everyone identically he will get the same results from everyone.  Learn to develop an appropriate approach that works for each individual.  

Rely on process to create greater management effectiveness. Gut and instinct are important when dealing with people, but effective managers rely on process to guide their management practices. In our organization, we call this the Management Cycle of Success, and it has four phases. This cycle includes:

    Planning

    Communicating and directing

    Developing and coaching

    Observing and assessing

The primary role of manager is to utilize employees to help an organization achieve its business goals. In order to accomplish this, a good manager works with employees to ensure they understand tasks and can properly deliver results.  You must also ensure that knowledge and experience are readily transferred between employees for the benefit of all. Work with each employee to help them develop to his/her fullest potential as a professional so  everyone wins: the employee, the organization, and you as the manager.

Effective communication is the hallmark of a good manager. Perfectionism and micromanaging do not help employees become successful; but consistent and effective communication do.  As a manager, you must both listen to and talk with your employees — frequently.  If you manage people who work from other locations, maintain consistent communication via phone and e-mail, a critical component to bridge the gap between face-to-face meeting times. Proactive communication helps prevent mistakes, conflict and failure.

Just because an employee is a self-starter and motivated does not mean he/she doesn’t need a manager. These employees need communication and guidance like anyone else. Do not neglect them because they are not the “squeaky wheel” of the office.  

Being a manager is one of the most challenging and rewarding things a professional will do in his/her career. It takes time, patience and above all desire to help others grow.  Hopefully these tips can be of help to you or others you know who are working to become more effective managers.

Ahhh, the almighty PowerPoint…it seems to be a requirement these days when making a presentation, but are we using it effectively? Here are a few tips to help make your presentation polished and compelling when using PowerPoint.

We are ringing in the New Year and celebrating a marriage of sorts at Mitchell Communications Group. Elise and I started a training company in 2001, and as of the end of 2008, that company, Executive Communications Consultants, was sold to MCG and officially became a part of the team. 

So what’s the connection between communications strategists and trainers, and why did we take the leap? First, although we were two separate companies, we were working with many of the same clients. By coming together, we can collaborate more efficiently and effectively to better serve the common needs of these organizations.

Under one umbrella, the training division will now also be able to grow its product offerings and training staff. Already since last fall, we have more than doubled our training and facilitation services and organized them by tracks into a newly branded training series called ProFound

But perhaps the most important catalyst for the union was that both companies share a strategic approach to identifying and meeting the business needs of our clients.  MCG uses a four-step process for designing and executing communications initiatives: research, planning, implementation and evaluation.  So does the training division.  Here’s a closer look:    

• Research: We study a client’s overall business strategy and goals.  We also review their training competencies or help them design competencies appropriate for their unique business needs.
• Planning: We identify what curriculum should be developed and delivered to help individuals grow and help the company meet its goals.
• Implementation: We provide highly customized and interactive training experiences for participants. We deliver and facilitate curriculum design that has direct application for the success of participants. After all trainings and experiences, we follow-up with all participants in a variety of methods to reinforce learnings and encourage desired behavior change.
• Evaluation: Throughout the process, we measure and evaluate the impact our trainings have to effect real change in the individual as well as the organization.

So we enter 2009 as one company with a common commitment to strategy designed to achieve what the mission of Mitchell Communications Group has been all along: We are business counselors with communications expertise focused on helping our clients build relationships, enhance their reputations and achieve their business results.  We think that’s a marriage made in heaven.

-post by Blake