I am always amazed with how little training most managers get before being put into management positions. How about you?
Most managers are merely employees who were in the right place when a manager position was needing to be filled. Then, because of seniority or proximity or because the boss liked them or even better, the boss needed to get rid of them for being a pain in the… well, they got promoted to manager just to move them from where they were.
Does that make someone a manager? Is that you? What actual management training have you completed? What classes, courses or books on managing have you read, studied or learned from?
Most managers believe that they are highly qualified simply because they have spent time as a manager and believe they are good simply because they have been there a long time of because they get promoted again.
John Maxwell has it nailed. You should at least watch his YouTube videos but you should buy his books. He says there Five Levels Of Leadership. If you don’t know them, learn them. They are important and even vital to your success and your companies success. Whenever I train managers I try to incorporate them into the training so that managers can become Great Managers and help their organizations grow and prosper.
These five levels are basic to understanding you role as a manager.
The first is a position holder. That means you got promoted or hired to fill a position. You are a title and nothing more than a title. It does not mean you are good, or better than anyone else for this position it is merely a position. And most managers live their lives holding down their management position. Stage one in becoming a real manager that should lead to all others but seldom does simply because most managers get caught up in their own title and stop learning, growing and becoming. People follow you simply because you have that title.
The second level is permission. This is where many managers actually fall apart. It is where leaders become more involved and establish relationships with their people. Many managers fall into the trap of relationships and think they need to become friends and buddies with their people. While that is a small part of this level many managers get so caught up they fail to lead. Their friendships dominate their favors, control their emotions and ruin moral. Whereas a good relationship manager listens well, observe all that goes on and learns from it.
So here is the question. Have you seen yourself grow through these first stages as you look into your management growth? Are you still in one of them? Because there are three more levels to grow into.
This is not one of my training sessions though and you will actually have to go look up, learn and grow in order to find the other three levels.
I wonder… will you? Or like most managers, will you simply say, I’m too busy and have learned enough already and stop here.
Many blessings my friends. I hope you journey never ends.
I am Steve Sapato and I train people how to be their best with Mental Prosperity and you can find out more at www.mentalprosperityblog.com
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