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Dr. Larry is a trainer and executive coach. He makes communication fun and exciting in the world of business, leadership and executive team building. If you are looking for somebody who combines human relationship skills with business management in ways that are easy and rewarding to learn, Dr. Larry is your person! He has had successful careers in the worlds of education, mental health and business. He has familiarity with the mobile home, publishing, sanitation and construction industries.
Make a Plan: the First Order of Business in Management
A good plan includes 4 dimensions:
- goals and objectives: what are we trying to do?
- teamwork: how will we do it and who will do what?
- time management: when will we do it?
- evaluation: what happened and how will we know?
Women in management may find their authority questioned. In hard times they may find themselves blamed for plans they did not make. They may find their jobs sacrificed to budget cuts. A variation of “last hired first fired” becomes “the big boss screwed up but the women pay the price”.
There is no magic wand that can prevent sexist practices. The best way to protect yourself is with a sound plan that makes very clear what you expect, how and when you expect it, and how the results will be evaluated. Make clear where your responsibility ends and someone else’s begins. Hold everybody’s toes to the fire. The plan is the fire. Make it carefully and follow it religiously. Be sure that any higher-ups in your management food chain sign on. Keep them informed, in writing, about what is and what is not happening.
A careful eye for details is said to be one of the strengths women bring to management. Whether this is true or not, make it one of your strengths. Details in the management plan provide guidance and comfort to workers who depend on your for direction in their tasks. They are at the same time the written record that shows you did your job, how you did your job, and exactly what happened.
Remember: nobody likes to follow leaders who cannot describe where they are going. We all appreciate maps! In management the “map” serves two functions. It sets the direction but it also describes how we got from point A to point B. When these two functions are achieved it is very easy to determine what is the situation. This sets in motion the planning process all over again: where are we, where are we going, how will we get there, what are the goals and objectives, who will do what, when will it happen and how will we know.