If you want to move to the top levels of the profession, and especially if you're looking to be a partner in one of the top firms, you have to be able to handle a large group of people intelligently and diplomatically. When the partners of major CPA firms are considering new partners, the qualities they look for more than any other are: the ability to get along well with and motivate people.
HIRING SMART
Successful managing begins with surrounding yourself with the best possible talent. The problem is that too few people know how to pick and develop talent. Inefficient hiring practices are a universal problem; therefore it is important for you to sharpen your skills in picking the right people.
GETTING THE MOST OUT OF YOUR PEOPLE
Getting the most out of the people who work for you is almost a job unto itself and represents your most important managerial function. The very essence of managing is being able to handle people.
First, get to know your people: to manage well, you need to know your staff members well. You need to be sensitive to their personality characteristics, their work patterns, and their career aspirations. You need to know which of your staff members are motivated primarily by financial gain and which of them are motivated by more internalized goals. You need to know how well each of them works under pressure and how sensitive each one is to criticism. More important, you need to be able to use this knowledge so that you can customize the way you handle each member of your staff.
Second, set tangible goals: If you do not tell the people who work under you exactly what you expect from them, you are committing one of the cardinal sins of managing, and you will pay for it. Those of your staff members who lack initiative will stagnate and produce very little. Those who are creative and energetic will set their goals on the basis of their own personal objectives. In both instances, the productivity in your department will suffer.
Third, learn how to delegate: In order to delegate successfully, one must have confidence: in yourself and in your staff. If you lack confidence in yourself, you will not be able to accept the fact that you cannot do everything yourself. You will worry that, in the event there is a mistake, you may not be able to survive it. If you lack confidence in your staff members, you will not delegate for fear that the job will not get done.
Fourth, praise staff members for jobs well done: Praise is the most inexpensive way to motivate staff members, so do not be stingy with it. If you do not let your staff members know when they have done a good job, you are failing in a crucial aspect of leadership. Here are some tips on giving praise:
- Be as specific as possible: Instead of saying, "Great job," add something specific about the project that was good. "I particularly liked the way you handled the overview section."
- Do not do it grudgingly: If you are going to praise somebody, make it count. You might want to call the person into the office to do it. Another nice touch is to send a short note, even if you see the person every day.
- Be sincere: Your staff members will be sensitive not only to the praise you give them, but also to the tone you use in giving the praise.
- Let others know about it: When a member of your staff passes the CPA examination, for example, let the rest of your staff know about it. If a staff member gets an article published, make sure the article gets circulated among your staff, clients, or customers.
- Give tangible rewards: Good work should be rewarded not only with praise but also with something the staff member will value. Obviously, you cannot keep giving raises every time someone does a good job, but there are nonmonetary ways of rewarding a job well done. If it is consistent with company policy, you might give somebody a day off. And, do not ignore the importance of appropriate titles, such as “cost accounting specialist” or “retail audit manager.” Some talented accountants leave public and management accounting for a position that gives them a more impressive title.
Finally, criticize constructively: The motivating power of the praise you give your staff members will be even greater if you are also able to give solid constructive criticism. To ignore it when one of your staff members is not performing well is to do both of you a disservice. When the time comes to criticize, be sure you do it in private. If at all possible, try to preface any criticism with a few words of praise.
DONT AGONIZE OVER DECISIONS
Good managers possess the ability to make good decisions.
As a manager, you cannot ignore decision making, but it is worth pointing out that experienced managers worry far less about decision making than novice managers. If you are having trouble making a decision, it is probably for one of two reasons: one, you do not have all the facts, or two, you are too close to the situation to be objective.
The good news is you rarely have to make a major decision alone. Good managers routinely seek input from staff members before making any major policy or operations change.
HOW TO TELL WHEN A STAFF MEMBER IS ABOUT TO QUIT
The last people you want on your staff are those who are not fully committed and are looking elsewhere. Most people looking for another job, however, do their best to keep the news from their employers until they find something else. There are some signs you can look out for that will give the indication that somebody is planning to leave:
- Longer lunch hours: Staff members who begin taking noticeably longer lunch hours could well be using the time for job interviews.
- Frequent absences: Like longer lunch hours, a sudden increase in absences might indicate that the person is taking time off to go on job interviews.
- An increase in personal phone calls: The calls may be coming from potential employers setting up interviews.
- Any change in communication attitude: Take notice when a normally aggressive employee begins to act docile at staff meetings or a normally docile employee begins to act aggressive. It could mean that the employee no longer cares what management thinks.
- A change in vacation pattern: Some employees who are planning an intensive job interview period will request an immediate vacation.
- A neater desk: If the desk of an employee who usually has a sloppy desk suddenly appears neater than usual, it could mean that the employee is beginning to clear out personal belongings.
- A sudden improvement in grooming or appearance: When staff members show up for work noticeably better dressed and groomed, they could be dressed that way because of job interviews.
WHAT TO DO ABOUT AN EMPLOYEE WHO PLANS TO LEAVE
If you have reason to think that a staff member is about to leave, act immediately. You should speak to this person and ask directly if they are looking to change jobs. Most people will not lie to you when confronted directly.
If the employee is someone of high value, make an effort to reconcile differences. In some cases, a long talk in which you discuss the employee's future will bring problems to light and perhaps iron some of them out. On the other hand, if the person tells you they’ve already accepted a new job, resist the temptation to make a counteroffer. Counteroffers, when accepted, will encourage other employees to use the same tactic. In addition, studies have shown that an employee who accepts a counteroffer rarely stays more than a year.
WHEN FIRING BECOMES NECESSARY
Just as there is an art to hiring the right people, there is an art to terminating them. Here are a few principles to keep in mind:
- Do it in person: If you hired the person who is to be fired, it is your responsibility to handle the firing and to do it in person. This is one responsibility you should never delegate.
- Do not drag it out: Be tactful, but deliver the news early in the conversation. The longer you wait to give the bad news, the harder it is for the employee.
- Have all necessary information on hand: The employee you let go has a right to know immediately whatever benefits are due. Have an adequate separation payment and the final check at the meeting.
- Be extra tactful: Without lying, do your best to give the departing employee an explanation that he or she can live with. The last thing you want is a bitter ex-employee.
- Analyze what went wrong: Most top executives place the blame on management when an employee is fired. You have to ask yourself what led you to hire the person in the first place and what you can do to prevent yourself from hiring the same type of person again.
RATE YOURSELF AS A MANAGER
The following test should give you a general idea of how well you manage. To take the test, answer each question on a scale of 1 to 5, with 5 indicating that you almost always do what the question asks and 1 indicating that you never or hardly ever do it. When you have finished, you can rate yourself on a scale of 1 to 100.
- When you need to hire a new staff member, do you take the time and make the effort necessary to hire the best possible person for the job?
- Do you take the time to orient new staff members so that they understand not only their own jobs but also how their jobs fit into the overall scheme of things?
- Are you aware of the strengths and weaknesses of each of your staff members?
- Do you set the example you want your staff members to follow?
- Do you show a sincere interest in your staff members as people, rather than simply as subordinates?
- Are you aware of the career aspirations of each of your staff members?
- Do you make it a point to meet one-on-one with individual members of your staff?
- Are you careful not to show favoritism to any member or members of your staff?
- Do all the members of your staff have clearly defined responsibilities and the authority to carry out these responsibilities?
- Do you have enough confidence in your staff members to trust their decisions on matters relating to their responsibilities?
- When appropriate, do you involve your staff members in important decisions?
- Do you try your best at staff meetings to encourage objective observations from members of your staff?
- When you make assignments, are you sensitive to the workload?
- Do you set reasonable deadlines when you make assignments?
- Do you vary your supervisory style according to the personality of the staff member?
- Do you make it a point to praise your staff members (when deserved) on a regular basis?
- When you criticize staff members, do you try your best to be constructive?
- Do you concern yourself with the advancement rate of your better staff members and do you help them as best you can to get ahead?
- When a staff member quits, do you conduct an exit interview in order to determine the reasons for leaving?
- Do you take time every now and then to evaluate your managerial effectiveness?
CONCLUSION
Being a manager is no easy task, but the more you know your staff and their strengths and weaknesses, the more successful you will be in maneuvering them to accomplish the tasks you need done. Bottom line: sharpen your people skills and success is sure to follow.
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