How to Manage Senior Managers and Leaders

In a small company, the business leader may only be in charge of a small number of people, all of whom he manages directly. However, as a company becomes successful and expands, with more staff joining its ranks, the business leader may have to hire managers or team leaders to look after their employees, creating a hierarchical or pyramid structure that contains a number of branches or channels. Inevitably, this will mean that the business leader will be in charge of managing the management team, who in turn will be responsible for managing the other employees.

While there are obvious benefits to this approach, with a business leader focusing priorities elsewhere while managers organize work and staff, it is important that those managers exercise an element of control, trust, and responsibility in order to delegate tasks effectively. . While managing people may be one thing, managing managers is a whole different game.

So what is the best approach to take when overseeing a management team? Here is a list of methods detailing how to manage managers more effectively:

Set clear short-term and long-term goals: It may sound obvious, but it is imperative that managers know what they are working towards. Be sure to set clear short-term (monthly) and long-term (yearly) goals that are realistic and achievable. If they didn’t meet their goals when expectations were clearly stated and agreed upon, then they may be liable; however, if a clear path has not been previously charted, it is fair to say that your leader is to blame.

Do not make plans without consulting them: A manager in a department may have been hired for a particular reason, say, their skill set or knowledge on a certain subject, so imagine their frustration if someone higher in the chain of command makes a decision, especially if they’re a manager. wrong decision – without checking with them first or asking for their opinion. When working on a business plan that will affect certain managers, be sure to include them. In any case, it should help to improve the plan, but also the manager will feel involved.

Don’t micromanage: A sin of the small businessman who has had to expand. Managers at the top of the chain should not micromanage every essential detail of their management team. Managing your staff directly, bypassing the manager, should also be avoided, as it could confuse workloads and upset a manager’s plans. It can be difficult for someone who used to control everything, but business owners need to understand that managers need to be given room to make their own decisions, with influence and guidance, rather than being told exactly how to manage.

Listen to your managers: Managers will not only need guidance and assistance, but they can also generate ideas within their own department that can influence other areas on a company scale. Listen to their concerns, listen to their suggestions. A leader who doesn’t listen to their managers will never be able to manage effectively, especially if they are too nervous to speak up.

Keep an eye on your managers’ staff: Without micromanagement (see above), it is still important to look at the progress of a team or department. Do the employees seem unenthusiastic? Are they unhappy? Is there high absenteeism or high staff turnover? These could be signs of a bad manager bugging their staff, which could affect workloads, productivity, and deadlines.

Treat each manager differently: At the end of the day, all people are different, so no two managers will be identical, even if they appear to be similar in the way they operate. Being able to understand managers and tailor specific approaches for them should be considered one of the most effective ways to get the most out of them, which will then spread throughout your team or department.