Resources

Managing people may be one of the most difficult jobs there is. The good news is that there are management fundamentals, that when practiced consistently, will go a long way in making you a stellar manager.

Expect excellence: The goal of a good manager is to achieve exceptional results so set high but attainable standards both for your employees and yourself.

Be open to new ways of looking at things: Be flexible and listen to your employees. They are closest to the actual work and often have the best process improvement ideas.

Delegate issues, not tasks: When you assign only tasks employees are likely to become bored and indifferent. Let them help you solve "problems" by breaking down large issues into smaller ones and assigning them based on employees' skill sets.

Develop team members: Yes, it takes enormous time to develop your team members but the investment is well worth it. Understand each team member's skill level and career goals. Create opportunities for them to improve upon existing skill sets and learn new ones.

Protect your time: You need time to think through what needs to be accomplished and then prioritize and delegate well. Take the time you need to think things through thoroughly. If you don't, you and your team are likely to find yourselves lurching from one crisis to the next.

Provide meaningful and constructive feedback in real time: A pat on the back for a job well done is greatly appreciated. But no one is perfect and constructive feedback on improvement opportunities provided in real time, not at the year-end review, will go a long way in helping employees leverage their strengths and learn where and how to develop.