The Current World of Work

Now I don't claim to have all the answers. But I do know some things to be true:

  • People are unhappy at work and this is causing low productivity and life unhappiness.
  • Manager’s are stuck with these unengaged employees and have a hard time compensating
  • Smart, educated people are put into management without relevant help and training.

Even with the best intentions bad things happen. Manager is a dirty word. Too many people don’t listen to or respect their boss. The Technical skills you learn in school don’t translate into the people skills you need to manage employees.

There is a Better Way

Over the past years I’ve been researching and testing. The aim: to get the best of the best in practical, people management techniques. And the thing I've figured out is that this stuff works. It's not perfect but it is a darn sight better than where we are today.

The Mission of Manager Foundation

The mission of Manager Foundation is to make work a better place. And how I do this is that I show managers what they never showed you in university. What I will show you is:

  1. Easy, effective ways to manage your employees in an ethical manner,
  2. Management methods that your employees will love and appreciate, 
  3. And how you can massively improve productivity and profits through your people. 

So Manager Foundation is mostly about Ethical Management but there is also a selfish reason for you to improve your manager skills. And this reason is that your technical skills are only going to get you so far. It's the bosses who know how to manage, motivate and retain their employees that are the bosses that get ahead.

And it's not just about promotions and bonuses. Because investing in your manager skills will improve your confidence and employability as a boss. I invested thousands of dollars and many years to be a Chartered Accountant. But I wish I had known about manager skills at the beginning of my career because this would've saved me so much time, money and agony. 

It's Not Just About Bosses

And it's not just about bosses. It's about employees too. Because the statistics are clear. Far too many employees don't like or respect their bosses and this causes them stress at work and is the number one reason employees leave jobs. And it's my belief that this is a major cause of low productivity and depression. Your employees deserve a boss who knows what they are doing and your employees also need your help to be better employees.

My First One on One Meeting With My Boss

As an example, when I had my first One on One as an employee with my boss I had no clue about what to do or what to expect. I was very nervous and badly prepared. Needless to say it wasn't a good experience and didn't achieve much. And the bad experience meant that I preferred to avoid future meetings with my boss. And this was unfortunate for me because it's important for bosses to have good relationships with their employees. Plus for employees to have good relationships with their bosses. Obviously things did get a bit better over time but without some formal learning of best practice it was never much good. And that goes as much for my bosses as it does for me.

In life you can always make it up as you go along but there is heaps of best practice - so why not learn from the experts. The complimentary course 3 Steps 2 easy 1 on 1's will show you a good one on one practice that gets things done. It's quick and easy and includes a free one on one form.

And learning best practice is as important for bosses as it is for employees This is one reason why I also have a mini one on one course for employees. Because it doesn't matter how good you are as a boss - if your employee doesn't like one on ones, or know what to do, you will have suboptimal one on ones. 

One on Ones Work on Two Levels

One on ones work on two levels because on a surface level you take care of your management responsibilities all in one go. But remember how just like you,

  • Your employees want to work in a place where they can grow and use their potential, 
  • Your employees want to do meaningful work, to feel valued and have their contribution acknowledged,
  • Your employees want to fit in, to have a sense of belonging and, 
  • Your employees want a good relationship with their boss.

Well the deeper more powerful level that one on ones work on is that you can satisfy these deeper, more fulfilling needs. And in doing so you are creating a productive and satisfying workplace.

How One on Ones Function

So a quick explanation about how the deeper more powerful level that One-on-Ones function:

  • One on ones create a forum for focusing on employee growth and development: People want to grow and use their potential. That's why employee development and delegation aren't just about your needs. Do them properly and you also satisfy employee needs. 
  • One on ones give you an opportunity to give your employees performance communication: Your employees want to do meaningful work, to feel valued and have their contribution acknowledged. When you do your performance communication right, it's not just about getting what you want. Because you help your employees to feel appreciated and you help them to find value and meaning in the work they do,
  • The process of doing one on ones is what builds and maintains fitting in and good relationships: Your employees want to fit in, to have a sense of belonging and, your employees want a good relationship with their boss. 

Conclusion

So as you can see this is the reason for the content of the One-on-One meetings plus how the Manager Foundations function in a non-zero sum game to create mutual value for managers, employees and companies. This mutual value creation is what I call the Management Sweetspot. 

Comments:

Do you have any comments, questions or tips about making work work with one on ones? Please help the rest of us out by sharing in the comments below.