Rules Of Management

PART 2 – MANAGING YOURSELF

“The great danger is fossilization, becoming preoccupied with its internal tasks and systems and procedures, and losing touch with the world outside. And this will happen if everyone is concentrating on being efficient rather than being effective – in other words, if they don’t follow The Rules.”

Sir Antony Jay, creator of Sir Humphrey in Yes Minister
And founder of Video Arts, in his foreword to the Rules of Work


So that’s the basic rules for managing a team. And obviously most managers have a team to manager. But all managers have themselves to manage as well – that’s you. So the next set of rules is for you. These are rules to help you become more effective as well as more efficient. It’s hard enough just getting through the day without trying to improve as well, believe me I know.

“It’s hard enough just getting through the day without trying to improve as well.”

Being a manager is a tough job because it is always two jobs at once. You have to get your own work done and also be looking out for a team. The higher up the scale we go, the further away from our original job we get. And often no one bothers to train us as to what the new job – management – actually entails. Sure we go on the odd course – and some are very odd: I speak as one who has made Lego™ bridges, done jigsaws that are face down, been on canoeing weekends and all in the name of management training – but we don’t specifically train to be managers. Management is something we sort of pick up as we go along. Sure there are a few good instinctive managers, but invariably we stumble along picking up the odd hint and clue here and there – it’s a very hit and miss operation.

And a lot of what we are taught is fairly obvious. What I’m doing here is giving you the unwritten stuff – the stuff you don’t get on those canoeing weekends.

posted by Right Ranger @ 6:53 PM