A quick Google search of managerial best practices produces millions of results, from the academic to the inane. According to Future Market Insights, the leadership development industry, which is chiefly focused on helping managers manage, is an $81.2 billion industry…annually.
I scraped numerous sites to pull a list of management “Best Practices”, those behaviors that organizations invest heavily in to help their leaders grow.
Now, here’s my twist: instead of thinking about these Best Practices from a manager’s POV, I’d like you to think about them in the context of how you lead in your family.
- Prioritize managing your workload first: Before you can lead others, you have to be able to lead yourself.
- Understand your team members: To be an effective leader, take time to learn about your team’s work styles, preferences, communication habits, and unique traits – understand them as best you can for optimal performance.
- Delegate effectively: Trusting your team is crucial for maximizing your productivity and building their confidence.
- Take charge of communication: Don't wait for others to address issues, be proactive in your communication, especially when clarifying uncertainties or addressing potential misunderstandings.
- Show consistent leadership: Trust is built through consistency. Display dependable behavior to earn your team’s trust and respect.
- Offer positive reinforcement: Recognize quality work and exceptional behaviors and encourage your team to celebrate each other's achievements.
- Provide straightforward feedback: Effective managers balance tact with honesty when giving both praise and constructive feedback. Highlight strengths and areas for improvement while strategizing on how to enhance performance.
- Resolve conflicts promptly: Address conflicts early by taking steps to mediate and resolve issues before they affect workflow.
- Request feedback: Invite your team to share their perspectives on your management style and provide suggestions to help you better support them.
- Hold yourself accountable: Lead by example, demonstrating that you uphold the same standards you expect from your team.
- Schedule regular check-ins: Plan consistent group and individual meetings to track progress and maintain open lines of communication
There is no more important office than your home [office], that place where you and your loved ones come back to every day to be as family. If you sense your performance is slipping at home, I hope one of these best practices will resonate and inspire you to build a performance improvement plan that will serve you and your family.
"There is no doubt that it is around the family and the home that all the greatest virtues, the most dominating virtues of human, are created, strengthened and maintained."
<br/><span class="body-2 opacity-80" style="padding-top:0.75rem">~ Winston S. Churchill</span>
"A leader takes people where they want to go. A great leader takes people where they don't necessarily want to go, but ought to be."
<br/><span class="body-2 opacity-80">~ Rosalynn Carter</span>
