Interview with interim manager: who sees the big picture and is capable of bringing to life all opportunities
Interim sales manager Argo Sildvee believes that a successful interim has to enjoy the work with people and to manage to perceive the bigger picture. These skills are fundamental. Reaching out to Argo we have tried to find out if it is true that every situation or circumstance hides an opportunity that may benefit our…
Key Principle of a Leader #51: When seeking a solution, think outside the box
Solutions are often within reach. Sometimes it may feel that something’s impossible, but there’s always some way…
Key Principle of a Leader #48: Take pride when a subordinate gets promoted to outside organization
If you’re a good manager and are able to keep your people’s motivation and desire to learn high, they will develop at a torrid pace. It might even happen that the organization you work for will end up being too small for them, as there is no work that is commensurate with their new skills.…
Key Principle of a Leader #45: Excessive praise is risky and counterproductive
Praise is good for a while, warm and provides encouragement, but if it continue too long, it can blind, fatten and cripple the recipient. An overly high opinion of oneself resulting from too much praise from a manager spreads like wildfire within the organization, unfortunately.
Key Principle of a Leader #44: All sales are personal events
Customers want to feel that their purchase isn’t just a means of increasing the seller’s turnover and making a profit the service provider has to care about whether the customer actually needs the good or service. Very good sales are always personalized.
Key Principle of a Leader #41: Know when to quit
If doing the work you do at present is boring and there’s no spring in your step, summon your courage and give up the money.
Key Principle of a Leader #38: There are no dumb questions
Asking, arguing and expressing opinions are just about the most important things for a company’s esprit de corps. Otherwise groupthink will result, and affects the quality of the decisions made.
Key Principle of a Leader #37: Today’s achievements are tomorrow’s norm
Lifting the same weight a second time is harder but it’s also human nature to try harder. If you’ve reached your goal, it’s customary to keep on moving and lift new weights.
Key Principle of a Leader #36: Estonia is not the belly button of the world
National boundaries are part of ethnic identity, not the domain of business. If you want to know your business well, you have to be able to see farther.
Key Principle of a Leader #33: I will try to be the best
You can become a professional in your field if you enjoy what you do. Those who know what they want and what they really like are the fortunate ones.
Key Principle of a Leader #28: Listening and understanding is harder than speaking
You learn from listening and you learn less when you’re talking. The greater your responsibility, the more people on your team, and the more you have to take them into consideration and listen to them.
Key Principle of a Leader #22: Excellent performance requires better rewarding
The ones who do their work with enthusiasm and whose goal to develop professionally and realize their abilities generally also earn a higher salary. In general, they don’t work for money but for self-actualization.
Key Principle of a Leader #21: Bigger responsibility means a bigger paycheck
Even if it seems that managers seem to have the luxury of sitting back, they are ultimately completely responsible for the employees’ – and the company’s – results. They have to be able to get the machine working so that people are content and profit is rolling in.
Key Principle of a Leader #20: Relatives shouldn’t work together
Blood is thicker than water and that is pretty certain to affect the quality of decisions. We simply don’t see or don’t want to see the flaws in those closest to us. At the same time, unequal treatment of employees and back-room decision making become problems, like it or not.
Key Principle of a Leader #16: Concentrate on goals, not on the means to achieve those.
A shovel in itself is a useless thing – you need a hole. The means helps you reach the end, but the means is not the end. In life, everyone is often busy doing what they’re doing and they lose sight of the agreed-upon goal.
Key Principle of a Leader #12: Praise in public, criticize in private
Praise and criticism are part of everyday work. Take note of the little successes, too, and let the people who achieved them know. In a situation where things don’t work and people can’t get on with the work, the manager has to display humanity and caring even when chastising employees.
Key Principle of a Leader #11: When on vacation, leave work behind
A fast pace of life blurs the boundaries between rest time and work. It especially affects people who are officially responsible for the company 24/7, such as management board members. There are fewer and fewer people who can “unplug” when they go on holiday.
Key Principle of a Leader #10: Perseverance is the answer
Business is not a lottery and miracles occur only rarely. It isn’t important what you do. It’s how you do it! Even in a very competitive area of activity, it’s possible to achieve great results. To do so, you need to be better than the others. That takes time, though.
Key Principle of a Leader #9: Don’t play favorites with subordinates
A good manager is able to evaluate all team members using the same yardstick. One who uses different standards will end up building a monarch’s court instead of a team. Favourites on a team cause a situation where the manager’s decisions are biased. View all the the key principles of a leader from our YouTube…
Key Principle of a Leader #8: Hire people smarter than you
Even a very good manager can’t be a specialist in all areas. Therefore, responsibility should be shared. A manager and their employees must make up a team whose members trust one another and help and support one another.
Key Principle of a Leader #7: I can be replaced
The company’s managers inevitably have much influence. Power can be intoxicating, however. Competence and decision-making power shouldn’t be concentrated in the hands of one person in the organization.
Key Principle of a Leader #6: Dreams and ideas bear fruit
The company’s vision is like a shared dream. Once the vision is in place, it’s easier to attain the goals together. The more employees are dreaming together with you, the better. View all the the key principles of a leader from our YouTube channel or blog.
Key Principle of a Leader #5: Nobody should put spokes in your wheels
Any sort of backbiting in the organization has to be out of the question – this principle becomes more and more important the bigger the organization is. Teams have to have a good ethic and commitment to reaching the goal. It requires clear and understandable assignments, and also mutual trust and respect. We use the…
Key Principle of a Leader #3: Expenses are always too high
Keeping costs under control is something that has to be dealt with constantly. Expenses have an amazing quality of growing imperceptibly, especially when the company is doing well. View all the the key principles of a leader from our YouTube channelor blog.
Key Principle of a Leader #2: Sales are always too low
Sales are the driving force behind a company. Maintaining strong sales is the hardest part of business. Even if sales figures are good enough that you don’t need to expend effort today, it’s hard to recover once sales take a downturn.
Key Principle of a Leader #1: One should never belittle any competitors.
Simple, clear and concise principles that are especially important for working as a manager. On the basis of our own (VVT) experiences. We’ve created a small series of tips. This is the first set of principles. For distribution free of charge. View all the the key principles of a leader from our YouTube channel…
Äripäev: From time to time, every manager needs to be relieved
In every company, emergencies occur when a temporary external manager would be of help, says Martin Schneider, the CEO of interim agency Brainforce Group in Germany and Switzerland.
