Defining the Manager and the Leader

A manager and a leader differ in their approach to people, work, and risk. Managers are seen as regulators who maintain the status quo, enforce rules, and focus on achieving the organisation’s short-term goals. Leaders, on the other hand, are visionaries who inspire, influence, and create lasting impact through innovation and change.

Managers focus on executing established processes and try to excel in delivering the result areas assigned to them. They plan, organise, and coordinate, driven by objectives that arise from necessities rather than ambitions. Leaders, conversely, are characterised by their ability to drive people towards a new set of ideals or a greater good, thriving on change and the potential for what lies ahead.

The Managerial Mystique vs. Leadership Charisma

Harvard Business Review’s article “Managers and Leaders: Are They Different?” by Abraham Zaleznik offers a profound exploration of the dichotomy. Zaleznik suggests that managers are adept at defusing conflicts and ensuring that the day-to-day operations of a company are maintained, whereas leaders adopt a more personal and active attitude toward goals. The piece further explains that the “managerial mystique” is about maintaining order and avoiding risks, which can sometimes stifle the development of leaders within a corporate structure.

The Role of Inspiration and Vision

Leadership is closely associated with inspiration and vision. Leaders, like artists, tolerate chaos and lack of structure to keep answers in suspense and prevent premature closure on important issues. Managers, in their quest for order and control, may inadvertently suppress the creative process that is vital for an organisation’s evolution. Leaders, unlike managers, can inflame employees’ passions and imagination, driving change that is essential for the long-term success of an organisation.

Can Managers Be Leaders?

The development of leadership within an organization is a nuanced process that requires more than just assigning managerial roles. As Zaleznik suggests, businesses must avoid an overreliance on peer-learning situations, which can stifle the aggressiveness and initiative that fuel leadership. Instead, cultivating one-to-one mentor and apprentice relationships is a more effective method for encouraging the emotional and competitive attributes necessary for leadership.

Balancing Management and Leadership

It’s crucial for organisations to strike a balance between management and leadership. Managers are necessary to ensure that operations are efficient and goals are met. Leaders, however, are essential for providing direction and inspiring innovation. An organisation without strong management may find itself in disarray, while one without leadership may lack direction and the ability to adapt to changing markets.

The Verdict

Not all managers are leaders. While a manager may be adept at handling tasks and organising teams to achieve specific objectives, a leader is someone who goes beyond these functions to inspire and guide people towards a broader vision. In today’s dynamic business environment, the most successful organisations are those that recognise the difference between the two and foster an environment where both managerial skill and leadership can thrive.

For businesses to remain competitive, they need individuals who can manage the present and lead towards the future. This entails a conscious effort to not only train individuals in the art of management but also to encourage the growth of leaders who can envision and navigate the challenges of tomorrow.

In conclusion, while managers play an essential role in the machinery of a company, leaders are the ones who chart the course and inspire everyone to sail the ship towards new horizons. It is the rare and valuable individual who can embody both roles, managing effectively while leading boldly. Such individuals are the true driving force behind successful organisations in our rapidly evolving world.

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Helen Hayes won multiple awards and inspired millions of people with her acting. She was undoubtedly an expert in acting and she reminds all of us that experts keep learning and performing as a continuous process to be an expert over time. Doing just one of them is not going to help. Top leaders of an organisation are experienced and have proven themselves to be better than many others around them in their competencies to play the roles they do. However, given the rapid changes all around, the methods and styles they have found fruitful in the past could be failing now. They need to move paradigms!

Upskilling the leadership team

The business environment is constantly evolving, with new technologies and socio-economic changes, we see expectations and aspirations of the stakeholders in a business emerge regularly. By upskilling, leaders can stay updated on these changes and develop the necessary skills to navigate and respond effectively.

Effective leaders need strong critical thinking and problem-solving skills to make informed decisions. Given the nature of uncertainties and volatilities in the business environment, our leaders are in a stressed situation more often than not. We have to help them sharpen their analytical abilities, develop a strategic mindset, and enhance their ability to address the complexities of today.

Also, we need our employees to stay committed to the cause of their learning and development. There are no two ways about this. When the top leaders aren’t investing energies in their upskilling, how can they inspire and motivate their team members to acquire new skills and apply them? They need to demonstrate a commitment to learn, adapt and grow. The employees in turn are more likely to exhibit greater interest and be in high spirits to deploy the newly acquired skills at work and generate greater productivity.

How to go about it?

Every business has its context. The opportunities available in the market and the challenges faced by them are unique in many ways. Hence, the approach to expanding one’s horizon has to be tailor-made.

Every member of the top-level leadership team has his or her strengths and personality characteristics. Since a top-level leader has a significant influence over the organisation’s present and future, we have to undertake a personalised approach to develop them. It is more important at this level than for the leadership development approaches followed for the other levels of leadership in a firm.

We have to conduct a comprehensive assessment of each person in the top team of his or her current strengths and identify areas where they may need improvement. This involves assessing their beliefs, biases, styles, preferences and abilities; super-imposing these on the organisation’s priorities and future intent. Based on the identified skill gaps, we have to design a development journey that addresses the specific needs of each person in the leadership team. This development journey could include one-on-one coaching, workshops, seminars, online courses, or executive education programs provided by external experts or institutions.

It is a journey rather than a destination

We have to foster a culture of continuous learning within the organisation for the environment is continuously transforming itself. Hence, the development programme is not just a one-time activity, rather it is the beginning of a journey which is never-ending. The members of the top team must appreciate and understand the need of learning continuously.

Leaders must engage in self-directed learning, such as reading industry publications, attending conferences, participating in webinars, or joining professional networks. They have to use the relevant resources and share the knowledge among team members. Executive coaching and mentoring are effective in ongoing development.

Many forward-looking organisations believe in role rotation so that the members can take on different responsibilities and roles within the same organisation. This process might sound disruptive but helps the leaders learn about the diverse challenges and opportunities, enriches their experiences, broadens their horizons and ultimately builds a formidable leadership team.

This is a strategic initiative aimed at enhancing the skills and capabilities of an organisation’s leaders as well as for the long-term sustainability of the organisation. It involves providing them with training, resources, and support to improve their leadership abilities, stay updated with the latest industry trends, and adapt to the evolving business landscape.

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In the dynamic landscape of 2023, the role of a manager is more crucial than ever before. The ability to navigate uncertainties, lead diverse teams, and drive results demands a unique set of skills. In this blog post, we will delve into the essence of management skills, explore their types, provide concrete examples, and guide you on the path to developing these essential abilities. Let’s embark on a journey to uncover the 5 power skills for managers to not only survive but thrive in 2023.

Management skills encompass a broad range of abilities that enable individuals to oversee, lead, and coordinate the efforts of a team to achieve organizational goals. These skills are multifaceted, involving interpersonal, communication, decision-making, and strategic thinking capabilities.

Yes, we have a different kettle of fish.
We have come out of a pandemic that reminded us to be more human than ever before and value the contribution one can make in someone’s life. People have learned the value of working together to unleash the potential of collaborative working. Does the company promote this? Are managers comfortable showing their emotional side alongside the objective and task-oriented side? How do they deal with the combination of rational and emotional sides of their colleagues? Are managers ready to collaborate and work in an environment that is less structured and more flexible yet result-oriented?

Secondly, powered by the gradual shift in our socio-economic conditions, there are changes in the behaviours of the employees in the workforce. Now employees want a certain part of their day carved out as private time; they want feedback to be specific and quick; they seek to understand why they have to do what they are asked to do. They do not take kindly to situations when the company’s beliefs and norms are not to their liking. How do companies recognise this reality in their systems and processes? How do managers deal with this situation? For example, managers may not be comfortable allowing their younger colleagues the freedom and independence they seek; find it hard to accept that the young folks need private time which they did not find when they were younger. Managers do not have the skills of offering quick feedback, positive or negative. Many of them believe in developing their team members by criticising the work done by them; they do not see the need of appreciating good work. And many such challenges galore!

Thirdly, the environment around us has been changing rapidly. Science and technology, the legal environment and more such changes have been impacting the modus operandi in organisations. Managers are required to be agile and adapt to the developments in the environment quickly. Apart from the soft skill of adaptability, we need them to develop a good level of understanding and appreciation of the technical skills so that they can identify the opportunities to make changes and lead the change management programmes effectively.

Essentially, we are talking about a combination of hard skills and soft skills. Let’s call them power skills.

The Power skills needed:

Every industry sector and job role has its unique requirements for skills and expertise. The subject matter expertise needed is much beyond the experience of having done the job hands-on in the past. Managers are expected to be able to connect the dots and envision various possibilities. As technology is evolving, some industry sectors lead the adoption and learn through the process. Every manager needs to understand and absorb these learnings to discover various possibilities in his or her domain of responsibility.

Communication has always been important for anyone in a managerial role. The tenors of communication keep evolving as the context changes. in 2023, for communication to stick, it has to be an honest and sensitive appraisal of the performance periodically and frequently. Over time, the frequency of performance feedback has started rising and a good balance between appreciation and opportunities for improvement has become more essential than ever before. The importance of sensitivity has never been as important as it is today. We have noticed employees getting impacted negatively and damaging their mental health when their manager delivers negative feedback or criticism in a way that shakes them up. This style of appraisal does not create value for an enterprise. Hence, in 2023, this is one of the important power skills.

Agility, willingness to change and driving the change hands-on, is another dimension of the modern manager’s capability. This is significant because changes have been taking place at a rapid pace. For example, organisations have been making changes to their remote working policies over the last two years and are still unsure. Given this backdrop, a manager has to continuously evolve one’s style.

Innovation and creative thinking are something that has always been useful. However, given the volatile situations we encounter every day in our lives, businesses have been changing fast as well. The possibilities that ChatGPT seems to suggest are just an example. Managers have to seek creative solutions to the problems at hand.

Finally, the way a manager makes decisions, engages with the stakeholders and negotiates with them makes him or her a great manager in the current times. All of us have been told several times in our lives that decisions which appear to be win-win are the best way forward. However, it is not practised very regularly. Given the current times, managers have to develop the power skill to build a genuine understanding of the counterpart, develop a rapport that is based on honesty, trust and mutual respect and focus on a partnership that lasts long.

Types of Management Skills

1. Leadership Skills:

Leadership is the cornerstone of effective management. Managers need to inspire, motivate, and guide their teams toward common objectives. This involves setting a vision, fostering a positive work culture, and being a source of inspiration during challenging times.

2. Communication Skills:

Effective communication is the lifeblood of successful management. Managers must articulate ideas clearly, listen actively, and provide constructive feedback. In the digital age, mastering virtual communication tools is equally vital.

3. Decision-Making Skills:

Managers are often confronted with complex and time-sensitive decisions. Being adept at making well-informed choices is a critical skill. This involves analyzing situations, considering alternatives, and understanding the potential impact of decisions on the team and organization.

4. Time Management Skills:

With a myriad of tasks vying for attention, effective time management is non-negotiable. Prioritizing tasks, setting realistic deadlines, and optimizing workflow are essential components of this skill set.

5. Adaptability and Change Management:

In the rapidly evolving business landscape, adaptability is a key differentiator. Managers must embrace change, navigate uncertainty, and lead their teams through transitions. This involves staying informed about industry trends and proactively adjusting strategies.

Examples of Management Skills

Let’s delve deeper into these skills with real-world examples:

1. Leadership Skills in Action:

Picture a manager who leads by example, demonstrating a strong work ethic and a commitment to the organization’s values. Through open communication and a genuine interest in team members’ well-being, they foster a positive and collaborative work environment.

2. Communication Skills Unleashed:

Consider a manager who excels in virtual communication. They leverage video conferencing tools, ensure concise and clear written communication, and foster an inclusive atmosphere where all team members feel heard, regardless of their physical location.

3. Decision-Making Mastery:

Imagine a manager facing a critical decision with tight deadlines. Through thorough analysis, consultation with relevant stakeholders, and a decisive mindset, they make a choice that aligns with the organization’s goals, inspiring confidence in the team.

4. Time Management in Practice:

Think of a manager who efficiently juggles multiple projects by setting priorities, breaking down tasks, and delegating responsibilities. This ensures deadlines are met without compromising the quality of work.

5. Adaptability as a Game-Changer:

Envision a manager who anticipates industry changes, proactively adjusts strategies, and leads the team through transitions. Their ability to navigate uncertainty positions the team and the organization for success in the face of evolving challenges.

Read Also:
• Move up to the role of a manager
• Being the human manager
• Getthebestoutofus become a successful macro manager
• Buildingtomorrow managing performance of remote workers
• Monkey management style vs cat management style what holds good

How do I Develop these Management Skills?

1. Invest in Professional Development:

Attend workshops, webinars, and conferences to stay abreast of the latest management trends. Seek out courses that focus on leadership, communication, decision-making, time management, and adaptability.

2. Mentorship and Networking:

Connect with experienced mentors who can provide guidance and share insights from their own managerial journey. Networking with other managers allows you to exchange ideas, learn from diverse experiences, and build a supportive professional community.

3. Seek Feedback and Reflect:

Ask for input from supervisors, teammates, and peers in a proactive manner. Reflect on your managerial decisions and actions, identifying areas for improvement. Continuous self-assessment is key to personal and professional growth.

4. Embrace Challenges:

Embrace challenges as opportunities for growth. Tackling difficult situations hones your decision-making and problem-solving skills, contributing to your overall managerial competency.

5. Stay Informed and Adaptable:

Stay informed about industry trends, technological advancements, and global developments that may impact your organization. Cultivate a mindset of adaptability, recognizing change as a constant and proactively adjusting your strategies.

Skills of a Good Manager

Beyond the specific skills mentioned, a good manager embodies certain qualities that set them apart:

1. Empathy:

A good manager is aware of the wants and needs of their team members. They demonstrate empathy, fostering a supportive and inclusive work environment.

2. Integrity:

Integrity is the foundation of trust. A good manager upholds ethical standards, leading by example and earning the respect of their team.

3. Creativity:

In an ever-evolving business landscape, creativity is a valuable asset. A good manager thinks outside the box, encourages innovation, and seeks novel solutions to challenges.

4. Flexibility:

Flexibility is crucial in adapting to changing circumstances. A good manager is open to new ideas, embraces change, and adjusts strategies as needed.

5. Resilience:

The capacity to recover from setbacks is known as resilience. A good manager remains composed under pressure, learns from failures, and uses adversity as a stepping stone to success.

Human capabilities are way more than we imagine

Human beings embody limitless possibilities. We have to remain watchful of our environment and evolve. 2023 is the time when all of us are witnessing changes, quickly adapting to them and driving changes ourselves. As long as we are dynamic and agile, believe in the human spirit and pursue excellence, we shall evolve ourselves into acquiring the power skills needed and win in the marketplace.

In conclusion, the 5 power skills for managers to succeed in 2023 extend beyond technical expertise. Leadership, communication, decision-making, time management, and adaptability are the pillars that support effective management. By investing in professional development, embracing challenges, and embodying qualities like empathy and integrity, managers can navigate the complexities of the modern workplace and lead their teams to success.

As we navigate the dynamic landscape of 2023, remember that mastering these skills is an ongoing journey. Continuously refine your abilities, stay attuned to industry changes, and cultivate a leadership style that not only meets the demands of today but paves the way for the challenges of tomorrow. Skills for managers are not just a checklist; they are the compass that guides teams toward excellence in the ever-evolving business landscape.

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The case for a transformational leader

Decades ago, people looked up to the leader designated by someone else and followed his or her words, ideas and instructions without an iota of doubt about the merit of the action. However, given the socio-economic changes prevalent, these norms are no more valid.

People seek independence, trust and fairness; they look for authority and need recognition for successes howsoever small they may be. These are universal and more significant than ever before. Hence, leaders have to adapt their style to suit the expectations of their followers and at the same time, deal with the constantly-evolving situations around them. It is a tall order for any human; one needs the power of multiple minds and perspectives to lead in this dynamic environment!

Thus, the only way before a wise leader is to involve the team in shaping the future course on an ongoing basis and build a culture of collaboration.

A few things have remained constant

In our childhood, we have heard many fables and understood the characteristics of a leader who is successful and celebrated. Accordingly, we form our ideas and shape them as we experience the world around us during the years of our growth into adulthood and our work life. Over the years of our growth, we notice that there are certain qualities that we must develop and nurture if we aspire to be successful leaders.

Every leader has to be humble, caring and strong so that the team looks up to the leader and feels confident that their interests will be taken care of to the maximum possible extent. They feel safe to share their thoughts, raise concerns and discuss their ideas with the leader. The leader listens genuinely and speaks his or her mind rather than trying to play it safe and avoiding disappointments among team members.

Similarly, a leader is respected when one is honest, unbiased and fair. These sound fundamental, yet many leaders fail these at times. They side-step uncomfortable issues and do not reflect on their thoughts and decisions; thus, lose the opportunity of making course corrections and growing stronger.
In the absence of these qualities, no leader can ever dream of being a powerful transformational leader who can influence the thoughts and actions of his or her team.

Can a leader train oneself to be better at influencing others?

We know for sure that the old-styled command structure of leadership does not work in the crucial situations of leading a team towards the organisation’s goals. The influencing style fares better on most occasions and hence, one has to sharpen one’s saw to make progress.

To begin with, one has to practise taking important decisions in a consultative manner. The team must feel that they were consulted and heard. They also must know that all the suggestions and ideas will not be accepted for implementation; some of them will be struck down. However, the process of consultation and listening builds the leader’s credibility and strength. The change agenda can be driven easier by such a leader because he or she has transformed the team into a network of minds that works together towards the same goal.

Secondly, the leader has to set his or her conduct as an excellent example in the firm. All of us know, that it is easier to preach than to practice. A leader is in a position to influence the team’s behaviours and actions only when his or her conduct is a benchmark in itself. For example, if the organisation expects its leaders across the hierarchy to be innovative, the leader must conduct oneself in such a way that teams down the line feel inspired to quote the leader’s words, behaviours and actions, and use those as benchmarks.

Charisma can be learnt!

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For example, in the current times, most employees need transparency and flexibility while the business leaders expect their workforce to understand the challenges posed by the environment and expect unclarity and ambiguity. Sometimes, the pulls are in multiple directions and the leaders are unable to address all of them with the desired level of agility. However, the need of the hour is to be agile and meet the expectations of all stakeholders.

As companies have been in a transformational mode almost always, they need many things to fall in place. Among several factors, getting the employees to stay engaged and contribute at their best is one of the most crucial asks now. Employees expect attractive rewards and benefits; they need at the same time a whole lot of other things which make their job worth their while. Since there are many opportunities in the market competing against one another to attract talent, business leaders have to review their employee value proposition and improve its impact.

What do leaders want of their employees?

Leaders want their employees to understand why the organisation exists and perform in the best interest of the organisation always.

For example, the employees at the project site of a construction company need to understand that they are building a shopping mall that is going to house three hundred businesses fulfil their dreams and plans; help ten to fifty thousand visitors enjoy their time there through shopping, dining, gaming and watching movies daily.

Businesses rise to great heights of success when this kind of alignment happens. Their employees will make the right decisions, take ownership of the goals and walk the extra mile to see the business achieve its long-term vision as well as short-term objectives.

What can be done to make the work engaging for the employees?

Everyone wants their work to count; all of us have similar levels of psychological needs to be respected, challenged, recognised and valued. These are basic human traits we have observed, experienced and studied. Yet, business leaders forget about these basics often and end up not giving away enough independence and freedom; they do not offer feedback at the right time; sometimes they get impatient, lose their temper with people and express their frustration. As a result, people feel disrespected and undervalued. We have to reflect these basics in our day-to-day behaviours and practices.

We have to offer the right amount of money, fair levels of benefits, equitable promotion and development opportunities to our people; our work has to be safe, empowering, dignified and flexible. These are the bare minimum anyone expects these days from his or her employer. However, providing these aren’t going to make us a winning team.

How do we make work meaningful?

Some jobs can be repetitive like operating a machine or performing a series of steps multiple times a day; some jobs can be very stressful because one is dealing with uncertainties and cannot plan for the tasks that can land on one’s desk. Paying right, offering salary hikes, sending one for training, recognising one by incentives, making the workplace filled with fun and several perks and similar such steps are desirable. However, they do not make the job interesting and exciting. An employee cannot feel enthused for long with these interventions. We have to make the job seem valuable and meaningful; we have to make the employee feel that the efforts put in each day by him or her to do the job well are worthwhile.

Going back to the shopping mall example, we should possibly get the visitors to talk about the mall, the employees working there and the businesses operating there talk about the mall to the people who built the mall. Similarly, our milkman, delivery person, driver, grocer, domestic help, call centre executives, the admin person at the office, the assistant at the pantry, member of the housekeeping staff and many such people will find the meaning of their jobs when the stakeholders benefit by them can describe their experiences and offer gratitude to them.

And the millions who are in white-collar jobs will similarly find their jobs meaningful when we can get the ultimate beneficiaries of their work to express their gratitude. Businesses have to organise stakeholder meetings that can help their people understand customer needs and stakeholder expectations directly from the horse’s mouth. Further, these sessions develop an appreciation of the purpose and impact of one’s work in others’ lives. We build a better future together!

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Creating a video game is a complicated process that can involve hundreds of people with various skills and duties. These include programmers, graphic designers, animators, writers, and testers. To keep that developmental mess from losing focus, most company directors rely on video game managers. It is a fairly new job title that merges creativity with the business side of things to ensure good results. Of course, that’s just one part of it. There’s plenty more hiding behind that one name.

Types of Managerial Jobs

When someone mentions a video game manager, they could be referring to a number of different jobs that all play a crucial role in the production. Some of the most popular occupations right now include:

• Video Game Development Manager

This is the person responsible for streamlining the game development process, making sure the deadlines and quality requirements are met. However, even after the game is released, managers need to think about product placement and gaining feedback from the public. Depending on the predefined roles within the company, this can all fall within the duties of a single manager or be delegated to other, more specific roles.

• Marketing Manager

As the name suggests, a marketing manager focuses on the promotion of the game, which takes place both before and after its release. There are plenty of different strategies managers can use, but it all comes down to creating “hype” on the market and showing off the game on the right channels. In fact, most AAA studios will spend the majority of their game budget on marketing efforts because that’s what eventually sells the product.

• Community Manager

Community is such an integral part of every gaming project nowadays that it requires special treatment by a dedicated professional. The main goal is to keep the fanbase active and happy. The role combines customer support and social media management but can also go way beyond that. Whatever it takes to keep the community alive and well is at the very core of this role.

Job Requirements

The majority of jobs in the gaming industry today don’t require a formal degree of any sorts. Instead, focus is placed on demonstrable skills and talent above all. If you prove to your superiors that you can do the job successfully, you can get a job with practically any level of education. Now, considering there are different types of video game management roles, they may have different job requirements based on specific duties.

• Video Game Development Manager: Understanding the Mechanisms

The development manager acts as a link between different parts of game production, studio executives, and the marketing team. This means you need to be good at juggling different elements and making sure they all fit together by the end. It’s a perfect job for people who have a natural knack for organization and can easily communicate their ideas to team members.

One of the biggest challenges is getting yourself acquainted with all the parts of the process. It usually requires some experience, which is why people don’t normally go head-first towards this position. It’s more of a long-term plan where you start at the very bottom and work your way up. For example, you can start your career as a writer, creating scripts with dialogue and scene descriptions. After that, you can be a game designer, putting the pieces together and coming up with a gameplay. Once you master those positions, you’ll have a better grasp of the process and be able to organize it more effectively as a development manager.

• Marketing Manager: Setting the Scene

The job of a game marketing manager is not much different than marketing in any other industry. A big part of it is researching the market and coming up with viable marketing strategies. You need to have a good understanding of how promotions work nowadays, with the emphasis being on social media and trending gaming platforms. 

Basically, you need to have good analytical skills and be able to crunch the numbers down to get something useful from them. If you’re only just starting out in this line of work, you should consider learning more about social media ad management, user acquisition campaigns, and influencer marketing. Nowadays, everything is done online, so make sure you know your Facebook and Google ads as well as some SEO techniques.

• Community Manager: Keeping in Touch

Although it’s not a necessity, most community managers evolve from regular game fans. They decide to use their vast knowledge of the game to help out other players and improve their overall experience. Simply put, the best way to know what the community needs is to be a part of it yourself. This is especially important for online multiplayer games that can only survive with an active player base. With the growing popularity of esports, the focus has also shifted towards tournaments and the ever-growing betting community.

One of the essential qualities of a community manager has to be patience. Players tend to get frustrated and annoyed when they encounter a problem, which can sometimes turn into personal attacks directed towards the manager. Despite that, the studio representative has to maintain a good level of professionalism and composure. It is a plus if the manager shares the passion for the game and can understand the challenges of the community.

How to Choose the Right Position

Now that you’re familiar with some of the most common managerial roles, how do you choose the one that’s right for you? Well, you’ll need to ask yourself a couple of questions and find out where your passion lies.

• A game development manager requires a slow climb through the ranks and a holistic approach to the process. It’s a good opportunity for detail-oriented people who have exceptional organisational skills and can mediate between different departments.
• Marketing managers understand the ins and outs of online game promotion. They know what streaming platforms are popular and who are the best influencers for the job. The position requires someone who is always in touch with the latest trends.
• A community manager usually shares the passion for the game with the fanbase. This is an excellent option for people who want to be a part of their beloved game and work on making it even better.

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Humans are expected to perform tasks which involve creativity, judgement, emotions and human connect. People management is one such function that front-line supervisors to senior-most managers in a company perform. They need to see the company’s vision, delegate tasks, set targets, monitor progress, coach people and make course-corrections. Broadly, this is how they manage performance. Over the last ten years, many organisations around the world have made major changes in the way they manage performance of their employees. In the age of AI, there are more changes imminent.

Annual budgeting is passé

Well-run organisations have established processes to review their strategic plans, develop annual operating plans and break these annual targets to each employee there. With the advent of the technology tools available, speed of business has been on the rise; as a result, organisations have to be more agile. They have started planning on a quarterly basis alongside the annual exercise.

Going forward, more and more companies will adopt this new way of doing things; however, they will need to put substantial efforts of dipping into the performance data, studying market trends, connecting the dots and finally projecting various possibilities into the future. We think, with the advent of AI, we will need much lesser time and efforts to draw insights from the past and simulate various scenarios for the future.

Performance tracking gets real-time

As AI helps us crunch the time, planning cycles would come down from annual to quarterly. In some cases, this planning cycle could get down to weekly, daily and hourly as if the business follows game theory. Systems could monitor progress on a real-time basis. Employees and their managers can track the performance of each process and make changes. We say, means are more important than the ends. However, it is not very easy in most businesses to track the performance of each process and the employees carrying them out on a real-time basis.

Most organisations ask their employees to report their performance on certain intervals of time. Their managers spend time reviewing the reports, validate the data and discuss the performance versus the target assigned. If we have an AI-powered system, organisations would save 2-5% of their productive hours and managers could invest their time in more meaningful ways in coaching their team members than collating, validating and analysing the data.

Feedback will give way to feedforward

Traditionally we are all told about the importance of giving feedback and receiving them. It has been increasingly noticed that most of us do not receive critical feedback even if it is delivered with the highest earnestness and care. Unless one accepts a piece of feedback, the corrective action doesn’t take place.

So, thinkers have come up with the idea of feedforward which is a suggestion to make things better in future. This suggestion does not relate to the past and hence, in order to offer a feedforward comment, one does not need to know about the past behaviour or performance of the person. Secondly, the recipient is likely to accept the suggestion, comment or input rather than defending about the past behaviours.

With AI-powered performance tools, all aspects of performance (key performance indicators or KPIs) are likely to be continuously tracked on real-time, targets will be periodically revised and stakeholder feedback will be continually aggregated. Hence, the manager doesn’t really need to present all these to the team member. Rather the manager will invest efforts in feedforward conversations which are likely to make the employee get better at the role, grow in career and chart potential future paths.

As we embrace AI in our day to day life, it is important that we do the same while managing the performance of our teams and organisations.

Ref: https://www.marshallgoldsmith.com/articles/try-feedforward-instead-feedback/

https://hbr.org/2016/10/the-performance-management-revolution

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Typically large and established organisations run internship programmes. For a bootstrapped start-up, this is not a very conventional approach. However, it has worked well for us and we pursue this as a best practice.

Read Also: Get employees to own their own performance

Leadership commitment

I have seen companies invest energies on internship programmes without realizing the potential returns they offer. They invest energies in carefully selecting the campuses they visit, send senior managers to visit those campuses to attract students, deploy rigorous selection processes to pick the best, design elaborate programmes to give a good experience to the interns; and market-leading compensation is offered to the interns. Often there are meaningful projects assigned to them and they are asked to work under the mentorship of experienced managers in the company. HR teams engage with the interns on an ongoing basis. Projects are reviewed by the senior managers and pre-placement offers are given so that the best-performing interns would potentially join the company. These are often indicators of a well-run internship program.

How do we measure the effectiveness of the programme? Clearly, it has to be the experience of the interns and the number of joiners who grow well within the system over five years.

For a program run efficiently, interns definitely get a good practical experience about work life. However, the more important question is if the right people fell in love with the company and aspired to build their career there.

Leadership team has to invest its time and energy in telling them the stories about the company, its journey, how they are different from the others in their industry, the future prospects they see for themselves and their vision for the future. This effort of the leadership team makes an efficient program effective.

Read Also: Can HR Drive Change?

Rigorous Execution

Managers often know that an internship programme helps their organisation’s employer brand to grow stronger. They know, top talent can be attracted easily to their company and a leadership pipeline can be built for them. However, they sometimes cannot organise their schedule well and push the task of guiding and mentoring the interns to the lowest priority. As a result, the interns do not get to work on the projects with the desired rigour and depth. The organisation loses out on the opportunity of getting some meaningful work done and engage with a potential talent for the future.

Sometimes, an organisation offers highly attractive compensation and rewards for the internship programme and thus, draws the top talent. However, the projects assigned might not be substantial or the program is not structured well enough. Sometimes, the organisation is not ready to absorb the quality of talent the programme draws. These situations point towards over-projection of the opportunity and create disappointment among the interns. Naturally, the programme becomes a damp squib.

We need rigorous execution to make sure that all the stakeholders are well-aligned and prepared to attract the right talent, select the best and engage with them meaningfully.

Read also: Advice or Feedback – what works better?

Detailed Planning

Execution can take place only when there is a detailed plan. Many internship programmes are planned on-the-go and resources are mobilised dynamically. As a result, execution suffers due to lack of details. Right from describing the career path of an intern to the choice of campuses, the stipend to offer, the selection process to the choice of projects, aligning the mentors with the projects, setting expectations of all stakeholders, assessment and recognition for the interns are matters of detailed planning. We need all of these to be detailed so that execution can happen rigorously.

Some of our star employees are home-grown. They started with us as interns. You can home-grow your stars!

Reference material: https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbescommunicationscouncil/2019/07/02/14-ways-to-turn-summer-interns-into-future-star-employees/#5550eb2c66e2

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“There is only one boss. The customer. And he can fire everybody in the company from the chairman on down, simply by spending his money somewhere else.” said Sam Walton, founder of Walmart.

Every good organization wants to understand the needs of its customers, keep track of them as the needs keep evolving and ensure that their products and services keep appealing to their customers. How can we get our employees connect more with customers, observe their behaviours, gain insights and collaborate to develop products and services that win in the marketplace?

Right at the Top

Leaders at the top have to set the tone in the organization by demonstrating action that reaffirms the commitment to customers. They need to meet customers regularly, understand how their competitors are responding to customer needs, resolve customer complaints and reward employees for outstanding customer focus.

It is not enough for the leadership team to show the intent and reward the right behaviours. It needs to be felt by the employees each day, their performance indicators have to reflect the customer satisfaction levels or the aspects that the customer is looking for. They have to set up systems to enable the employees capture the insights they pick up from the market and collaborate amongst them to leverage those insights.

Is it the Salesperson’s job?

Normally, it is the sales team who connects with the customers to pick up new orders, service current ones and keep the competition at bay. Thus, it becomes their responsibility to gather insights and bring them back to the organization, particularly to the design and delivery teams. It is not a rarity to see a tension between these teams. Manufacturing or delivery teams feel that the salespeople aren’t able to sell the company’s offerings well enough to the customer. And similarly, the sales team feels that the design and manufacturing teams are unable to keep pace with the dynamics in the marketplace.

To resolve this lack of trust and collaboration, companies have to find a way of getting everyone in the market to listen to the customers’ voice, understand the needs and observe how the customer uses the products and services. While the salespeople would invest the most of their time in the market, the teams in design, manufacturing and delivery need to invest at least 10-20% of their time in the market. Similarly, the sales folks have to spend 10-20% of their time with design, development and operations teams to appreciate internal realities such as technology, raw material, costs, supply chain and so on.

This intervention helps all the teams to unify their view of the external as well as the internal environment, thus optimising their approach to the market.

Let’s enable everyone!

With the advent of technology, building systems and deploying them has become very easy. Customers can raise concerns, seek clarifications and offer suggestions easily. Similarly, employees can easily record their inputs and look up what others have said. With techniques like gamification, employees feel motivated to participate in the process of recording their insights.

Managers should be able to draw the summary of the insights easily and take actions to improve the offerings of the company. On a consistent basis, they need to communicate within the organization about the positive behaviours and the impact delivered on the business. This spurs the employees who have been either passive or uninitiated in the process of customer connect to get started. Further, this helps form a clear idea about the success formula for one’s career growth in the organization and thus, builds the culture of customer focus in the company!

The post How can we appreciate customer needs better? appeared first on CIEL HR.

It is a mistake to think that managing people is an easy task. It is necessary to combine the humanization of the relations with the collection of results so that this mission is carried out successfully.

In order to do so, the current management models of people charge the performance of a leader and no more, of a “boss”: while he stays above and away from the team, a leader engages his employees when operating through more relationships close to their professionals.

If you work in the business world and would like to see better results in your business, check out Zoe Talent Solutions it will provide best leadership and people management courses.

What Are The Key Challenges Related To Leadership And People Management?

Working with people and, more than that, running employee management requires a lot of gaming, since the characteristics of each – positive and negative – need to be aligned in a way that does not harm the company.

A trained manager needs to be aware of the most common challenges of this activity and then look for the best ways to solve them. See what they are.

Identify Talents

Personnel management begins in the process of hiring employees, lasting for the entire period of work of the professional and, if not done correctly, the entire production chain is affected. Therefore, leaders need to invest in creating an efficient flow of hiring.

This means that the most suitable professionals must be hired and a careful selection must be made: the hint is to standardize the search procedure and hiring professionals.

In addition, it is important to identify the talents in the company even after hiring, directing the professional to perform tasks more appropriate to your profile, from your skills.

Keep Team Motivated

A motivated team is one that feels satisfied in their workplace and, even if unconsciously, wants to reciprocate this positive feeling from performing a more energetic service, with better and better deliveries.

To encourage the production of employees and maintain this action, the manager must create a healthy relationship with his or her professionals. In addition to maintaining a respectful tone between leader and lead, awards can
be offered for delivering tasks ahead of schedule or, also, interaction events between staff can be organized once a month. It is worth using the creativity!

Caring For The Organizational Climate

The organizational climate is defined as the way employees see the institution, based on perceived behaviours and feelings. It is a subjective item, however, with a great power of influence and interference in the production chain.

In other words, a favourable organizational climate needs to be a focus of the business environment, since the production of effective results depends on how the production is structured and coordinated. Therefore, before charging your professionals, invest in this factor and make the work environment light and supportive.

How To Overcome These Challenges And Boost The Company’s Development?

A good leader is one who seeks to find the problems in his company and then outline ways to overcome them. With this idea in mind, check out 3 ways to leverage the development of your business:

Learn To Listen To Your Team

Knowing how to listen to the team is a word of order! This involves listening to criticisms, suggestions, new ideas and any other information that employees feel like expressing – provided they are made, of course, in a rofessional and respectful way.

To this end, they should be encouraged and encouraged to maintain an open channel of information. One tip is to have a routine of meetings with this purpose or, before effecting any innovation or change in routine, gather the
professionals and seek to know how they see possible transformations.

It is also essential that employees feel free to seek the leader whenever necessary. That is, the manager must have the ability to stimulate his team to express himself and for this, a good relationship between him and the led must
be created.

Provide Feedback To Employees

Few people know the power of feedback. This instrument is not a villain, as most professionals see: it works to help each one grow, and in the end, to make the collective align itself in the best possible way.

It is a return to the professional of how he is doing his work and can be done in writing, during an individual conversation or even in meetings with the team. Only thus does the collaborator understand, in practice, what is expected of his performance and whether it has been done in the proper way.

Reward The Achievements Of Professionals

A rewarded professional is a professional who feels useful to the institution and, from breakage, starts to work harder. Therefore, a quality leader must be able to identify the achievements of his employees and reward them.

The rewards are many and can be realized in different ways: from the aid in the payment of a postgraduate or qualification course to those who wish to invest in the study, to the financial reward for those who excel in production or complete a great period in the company.

The achievements of the professionals can be diverse, worth noting that simple attitudes on the part of the leader already stimulate the accomplishment of a quality work. If it is impossible to offer a financial return to the employee, knowing how to recognize a quality performance before the entire team already makes all the difference.

There are many challenges that involve leadership and people management, but knowing how to identify them, the way to your solution can be traced more easily. Therefore, to be a good leader, promote a good relationship between the
members of your team and act horizontally: the boss’s model that seeks the respect of its employees through fear has been in the past.

The post See The Challenges And Best Practices Of Leadership And People Management appeared first on CIEL HR.