Help Me! (I’M Lost.): Written by an Actual Manager

By DON WOOD

For new managers, the first experience can be overwhelming. For the employees of that new manager, the experience can be horrible, uninspiring, and demoralizing. Too often a new manager, just like a new teacher, is placed in the position with little support, guidance, or advice.
HELP ME I'M LOST offers practical advice using the author's actual experience in helping to guide the new manager. Learning from the mistakes of someone else can make that first assignment easier, more enjoyable, successful, and the building block for the future.

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse
• Release date: Nov 28, 2011
• ISBN: 9781467060813

DON WOOD

Don Wood has been managing and leading since 1969. During that time he has worked and managed in a trucking company, the U.S. Army, a middle school and high school, and four different financial institutions. He has managed hourly workers, members of the Teamsters Union, soldiers, teachers, administrators, tellers, branch managers, staff personnel, commercial lenders, private and wealth management bankers, and brokers. He has served on the Boards of many Not For Profits including Junior Achievement of Oregon and SW Washington. He has been Chairman of the Columbia Foundation in Columbia, Maryland and the Anne Arundel and Annapolis Chamber of Commerce in Annapolis, Maryland. He has coached wrestling and softball and was instrumental in developing and teaching new teacher workshops for private school teachers in Maryland and Massachusetts. Mr. Wood holds a degree in Business Administration Management from Va. Tech., a Masters in Educational Administration Management from Bowie University in Bowie, Maryland, and an MBA in Management from Loyola College in Baltimore, Maryland. He is a certified Six Sigma Green Belt and attended the University of Maryland on a National Science Foundation Grant. Living in Portland, Oregon with his wife and three cats, Aajan, Isabel, and Lydia, his passion is golf, snowboarding, and keeping up with his former students via Facebook.

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Contents

FOREWORD

CHAPTER 1

SO YOU WANT TO MANAGE?

CHAPTER 2

A MOST DIFFICULT CHALLENGE

CHAPTER 3

MANAGEMENT TAKES

DIFFERENT SKILLS

CHAPTER 4

LISTEN AGGRESSIVELY

CHAPTER 5

GET ORGANIZED

CHAPTER 6

INFORMATION OVERLOAD

CHAPTER 7

UNDERSTANDING YOUR STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES

CHAPTER 8

BE EMPATHETIC BUT INSISTENT

CHAPTER 9

MICROMANAGING

CHAPTER 10

KNOW WHERE YOU ARE FIRST

CHAPTER 11

RISK MANAGEMENT

CHAPTER 12

THE FIRST ONE-ON-ONES

CHAPTER 13

REGULAR ONE-ON-ONES

CHAPTER 14

KEEP OUT OF THE

PERSONNEL FILE

CHAPTER 15

DEVELOP A VISION

CHAPTER 16

COMMUNICATE THE VISION

CHAPTER 17

TURN GOALS INTO SPECIFIC ACTIONS

CHAPTER 18

CULTURE EATS STRATEGY

CHAPTER 19

UNDERSTAND WHAT

YOUR BOSS WANTS

CHAPTER 20

KEEP YOUR BOSS INFORMED

CHAPTER 21

WHAT DRIVES INDIVIDUAL PERFORMANCE?

CHAPTER 22

THE GALLUP Q12

CHAPTER 23

EMPOWERMENT

CHAPTER 24

HOLD PEOPLE ACCOUNTABLE

CHAPTER 25

DEAL WITH NONPERFORMERS

CHAPTER 26

IMPACT ON TOP PERFORMERS

CHAPTER 27

TREAT TOP PERFORMERS DIFFERENTLY

CHAPTER 28

OUT OF THE BOX WITH TOP PERFORMERS

CHAPTER 29

INTEGRITY AND HONESTY

CHAPTER 30

TREAT PEOPLE WITH DIGNITY

CHAPTER 31

SAY THANK YOU

CHAPTER 32

HIRE THE RIGHT PEOPLE

CHAPTER 33

LET THEM TAKE THE CREDIT

CHAPTER 34

GIVE USEFUL FEEDBACK

CHAPTER 35

ANNUAL APPRAISALS

CHAPTER 36

STAY POSITIVE

CHAPTER 37

DON’T SWEAT THE SMALL STUFF

CHAPTER 38

WORK-LIFE BALANCE

CHAPTER 39

DELIVER BAD NEWS IMMEDIATELY

CHAPTER 40

CONFIDENTIAL MEANS CONFIDENTIAL

CHAPTER 41

KNOW WHAT NOT TO SAY

CHAPTER 42

LEARNING TO MAKE PRESENTATIONS

CHAPTER 43

DEAL WITH YOUR MISTAKES

CHAPTER 44

KNOW THE NUMBERS

CHAPTER 45

EMBRACE CHANGE

CHAPTER 46

LEARN TO COACH

CHAPTER 47

ADVICE BY STORYTELLING

CHAPTER 48

ASKING FOR FEEDBACK

CHAPTER 49

JACK WELCH’S 4E-1P PHILOSOPHY

CHAPTER 50

THE BEST BOSS

CHAPTER 51

REMEMBER NAMES

CHAPTER 52

IT’S EASY WHEN IT’S GOOD

CHAPTER 53

YOU ARE ALWAYS A ROLE MODEL

CHAPTER 54

WORK HARDER THAN EVERYONE

CHAPTER 55

MANAGE YOUR FAMILY

CHAPTER 56

IT IS EASY TO FORGET

CHAPTER 57

FIND YOUR HEROES

CHAPTER 58

READ!

CHAPTER 59

BOOKS AND ARTICLES YOU MUST READ:

FOREWORD

The foundation for this book began forty-two years ago, when I assumed my first managing position. Since then I have managed Teamster members, teachers, administrators, soldiers, bankers, nonprofit board members, and 100-percent commission brokers. The idea to write a book for first-time leaders and managers came from the many managers who asked me for advice during their first assignments. It is a daunting time, and most bosses are not helpful, either. Often they don’t have time to advise and coach, or new managers don’t ask them for help because that would be a sign of weakness. It is my hope that this book can help new managers succeed and become leaders.

Over the years, there have been many individuals who have contributed to my success, been patient with my mistakes, and supported me as I muddled through learning how to manage and lead. My sincere thanks to those terrible and insensitive bosses who provide an example of what not to do! I hope that all of you have retired. Special thanks to Bill Couper, who is, without question, the best leader I have ever worked for; his patience, knowledge, and ability to motivate serve as an example for everyone. Deanna Lintz, Cassandra Compton, and Tracy Cloakey worked with me, put up with my mistakes, and always helped me learn. Thanks to every student I met while teaching; I consider each of you the molder of my character. Also, my thanks to each of the hundreds of colleagues with whom I’ve worked. Your perspectives have made a difference in my life.

Finally, thanks to Melissa, who began this journey with me.

CHAPTER 1

SO YOU WANT TO MANAGE?

So you have been offered a management position, or you have dreams of leading or managing others. Why are you interested in such a position? Do you want a promotion, more money, more visibility, or more power? If any of these is your reason, you need to rethink your decision.

Managing is different from most other positions. You are evaluated, promoted, and ultimately retained based upon the performance of others over whom you may have little control. At times, this can be terribly frustrating. Even if you have control, other factors can make the job challenging. Here are just a few:

• Politics: No matter where you are in the organization, others are playing the politics of advancement. If you can’t or don’t want to play, you need to ask yourself if this role is really for you

• Strategies: At one point in my career, I was managing a division where the growth goal was 12 percent for the year while the economic growth in the region was 1 percent. Now, who made that decision?

• Complaining: Oops! The complaining now stops at your office. You can’t please everyone. That’s not your job. But that fact does not keep people from complaining about almost everything. And, by the way, most of the complaints you will hear will be about issues you cannot control and cannot fix. Unfortunately, your parents’ because I said so won’t work here.

• Criticism: As a leader, you are now open to criticism from almost everyone about almost anything. You have favorites, That’s not fair, and You don’t listen will become familiar phrases. In your new position, you cannot complain. Certainly, if you expect your employees to conform and perform, you can’t share your frustrations with them. And your boss isn’t interested in hearing you complain.

CHAPTER 1

Management Temperature Check:

Why do you want to manage others? (Give thoughtful answers, not one-word responses.)

Are you willing either to play the politics or to ignore them and do your job? Am I willing to accept the consequences of not playing the politics?

What do you do if you believe the strategies and goals articulated