Topics / Managing people

Managing people

Management problems always turn out to be people problems.

We are future managers. And we want to be good managers. So to be good manager we need to like people, to enjoy working with others, to make good presentations and so on. One management consultant in Thailand says: “Managers need to be good at observing, listening, asking questions and speaking.” Also managers need to be active. For example, staff managers at ASDA start every working day with a song. They believe that the daily chant units the workforce and managing people becomes easier.

In recent years, many international companies have expended globally. They have done this through mergers, joint ventures and co-operation with foreign companies. Because of this globalization trend, many more employees are working abroad in managerial positions or as part of a multicultural team.

Good managers need to be good at four things. First of all, they need to be good at observing – that’s so they can understand the behavior, the strengths and weaknesses of their staff. The second thing that they need to be good at listening – so they can learn about their staff’s problems. The next thing is, it’s important for them to be good at asking questions – so they can find out all the information they need to make the right decisions. And last of all, I think they have to be good at speaking so they can communicate their objectives clearly to all their staff.

Managing international teams can present many challenges. If you manage international teams, it is really important to spend enough time preparing yourself for managing those international teams. Learn as much as you can about their language, their culture and the local conditions. And you also need to spend plenty of time with the local people. Don’t try to be an expert in the first three months or so. You should take time to observe and to learn and ask questions.