Daman - National Health Insurance Company

Lately I’ve been asked several times about making one or more videos on management and my beliefs around leadership. I don’t know why these requests appear right now, but maybe the self-reflection that many undertake at the new yearhad a part in this? In any case, I am very pleased to share my five management mantras with you and hope that they will inspire you to become an even better and stronger manager and leader

There may even be a bonus-mantra, but you’ll only know if you stick around to the very end. Here’s my five mantras followed by detailed explanation;

1. Deal with yourself first

2. We all fulfill needed roles

3. Use the burger method

4. Get it done. Now

5. If you appreciate someone, set them free

First things first – deal with yourself first. Remember, management is also self-management,and you need to be adequately disciplined if you want to lead others. This is as much physical as it is psychological. Being disciplined is about your personal overall attitude and how you think about others – and how you let your preconceived opinions influence the way you work with your colleagues. You’re in charge of your life and you are responsiblein how you let other people and circumstances influence you – noone can force your thinking in a particular way and it’s through your mental attitude can  youdetermine how you manage yourself and others

A few practical examples include the consideration of having a win-win mindset when dealing with colleagues and your reporting line - focusing on providing value as well as getting value makes interactions them much more enjoyable for both parties, in addition to the positive relationship that this can create in the long run. Approach people with a mindset of ‘how can I help them’ and you’ll find that what you wanted help with will come along naturally; findinga common ground and shared interest are the fruits of this approach.

Another obvious, but worth mentioning example is being proactive – don’t wait around for anyone to follow up with you on your own responsibilities or tasks. You’ll only end up with delayed projects or missed milestones in return. Afterall, you lose nothing by following up or taking the initiative to the next step

Moving on to the second mantra – we all fulfill needed roles – it is similar but quite distinct tot the approach discussed previously. For me, hierarchies are most valued incompliance and auditing context–we’re working with equals, as one team.  A true ‘one-team’ approach manifests itself like an orchestra with the leader being the maestro. It is this level of synchronization, the careful need to ensure everyone works together, and alone, to the same tune and towards the same goals.  

The key point to be drawn from this example is that everyone has a role and that role must be respected and valued. In doing so, the respect will naturally be mutual.

Research based on the original work from Maslow has shown that humans, after they’ve fulfilled their survival needs,– need recognition and validationthe most. Therefore, one must be aware that praise and recognition of others is as important as the task itself – which leads me to the third mantra, use the burger method

You may have heard of the burger method which is a popular technique for providing constructivecriticism – in areas for improvement – in a way that doesn’t necessarily ruin the critiqued person’s day. Simply, do not say what you need to deliver without consideration. It is important to be honest and open in a way that the other party clearly understands what you mean -including highlighting the positives of their work. Trying to be too nice risks the constructive feedback message being simply undelivered.

Think of the buns as positive reinforcement and the meat between the buns as the critical message you need to deliver. First you open the discussion with a positive reinforcement, something good you have to say about the person – the bottom bun – and you then add the meat, the actual important and difficult topic you need to discuss, and then, you add the top-bun – a positive comment or feedback to end the discussion

Trust me, this works. If I’m being criticised, even when I know the burger method is being used, it’s easier to have that conversation. Remember Maslow – after we survive, we strive for recognition and validation, and the burger method helps to provide just that.

“If One Is Truly to Succeed in Leading a Person to a Specific Place, One Must First and Foremost Take Care to Find Him Where He is and Begin There”

It’s very human to put off difficult talks like those that require the burger method – we’d rather avoid it and “do it another day”, but DON’T DO THAT. Get it done. Now.Which by the way is the fourth mantra. Nothing goes away by postponing it. Chances are it gets more difficult to do and it will end up taking more time to complete. The things that you don’t get done takes up space in your mind and end up becoming a stressor – the more things you postpone the more stressed you are likely to be.

Make it a habit to get things done as soon as you can – you’ll find it very satisfying, and you’ll see how much more work you can complete in the same amount of time. If the work you need to get done is dependent on others, get as much as you can completed, and make a note to your peers and in your calendar to follow up. This way, it is out of your mind and your inbox;planned and ready for your colleagues to work towards delivery.

In this regard, don’t micromanage your team or your colleagues as you’ll end up discouraging them and even taking away their initiative – they’ll simply just wait for you to tell them what to do which in turn will increase your own workload. That’s the fifth mantra, If you appreciatesomeone, set them freeinspired by the song from Sting “If you love someone, set them free”. My point here is, that you won’t get very far trying to micromanage your team and constantly telling them what to do – you will be overworked, and they’ll be robbed of all proactiveness and initiative. In most cases, your team knows how to do their specific job better than you anyway, so it’s very demotivating to have anyone tell them what to do

It’s much better working with them to set agreed targets and end-goals; your job is to pave the way for your colleagues to reach those goals; with your guidance, they can define their own targets and tell you what you need to do to help them achieve their targets

This, by the way, ties very closely to the second mantra – we all fulfill needed roles –, which is centered around respect for the individual paired with a true desire to help everyone to be their own best. I’m personally guided by this quote from the danish philosopher Soeren Kierkegaard:

“If One Is Truly to Succeed in Leading a Person to a Specific Place, One Must First and Foremost Take Care to Find Him Where He is and Begin There.”

This is the secret behindthe entire art of helping.

Anyone who cannot do this is himself would be deluded in thinking he is able to help someone else. In order truly to help someone else, onemust be more understanding than the other person–but certainly first and foremost understand where the other person is coming from.

But all true helping begins with being humble.

That’s it; my five management mantras

1. Deal with yourself first

2. We all fulfill needed roles

3. Use the burger method

4. Get it done. Now

5. If you appreciate someone, set them free

However, I’d like to add one more thing, a bonus-mantra, that ties in to the first- deal with yourself first.Remember, your team see you and will reflect your style.  As leader, you are a buffer and need to remember this when dealing with your team. If you experience pressure from your seniors – or have a bad meeting, you need to block your feelings from these negative experiences when you’re with your team as well.

If you have a great manager, I’m sure you’ll get a lot of good energy from your meetings and daily interactions, and you must remember that this goes for your team too. They will get good – and bad – energy from you, so you need to remember my ‘bonus’ mantra, leaders are buffers.