Many companies operate with two simple rules; get as much money in as possible, and take as little money as possible out of the company in the form of expenditure. That’s fine, there’s nothing wrong with that blanket approach, but it can leave many mangers wondering how to best meet those targets.

That’s why many managers who undertake management training courses have realised there is so much more scope for focusing on key areas of productivity which feed the overall bigger picture. One answer lies in the science of measurement.

Once you’ve established your goals and objectives, it’s critically important to translate them into measurable standards, and that can apply to just about everything. Measuring, or metrics as it’s also known, can be used in all areas of your organisation.

You can decide that you want to implement and measure a minimum 98% high customer satisfaction system, a minimum 98% delivery on time system, a maximum 1% manufacturing defect system. The examples could be endless.

The key thing to remember is that by compartmentalising your activities into measurable levels of performance, and set out to meet or exceed them, the end result will always be increased revenue and lower costs in the long run.

If you can manage it, you can measure it.

This is the third and final article in a series, designed to prompt the new and experience manager into implementing principles that get the most out of their staff.

Tip Seven: Show Leadership

As a manager, you must behave like a leader. This isn’t an ethereal quality; you can do it in many ways. Imagine you’re the captain of the ship; you set the destination and suggest the navigation, but allow the crew to use their skills to get you there. If you keep getting involved in the minutiae you won’t be able to see where you’re going.

Tip Eight: Delegate Properly

You can’t do everything yourself, even if you think you’d do it much better than anyone else. If you only do important things yourself, you will only get one thing done at a time. If you delegate well, you can get a plethora of important tasks achieved all at the same time. Remember the important rule of delegation; you must delegate both the responsibility and the authority to carry out the task. If you haven’t given the proper authority to your individuals and empowered them, they won’t be able to do what you ask.

Tip Nine: Training

Think of ways in which you could outsource some key training to your staff, whether it’s a sales training course, or a soft skills development seminar, your subordinates may come back refreshed, educated and with some great skills and ideas.

Tip Ten: Practice what you Preach

If you’re asking your staff to carry out tasks, or commit to a level of involvement or dedication, ask yourself if you’d do the same. Of course, your team’s perception of your job function may not be accurate, but if you’re out to lunch for ninety minutes everyday, and leave at five on the dot whilst expecting them to work unpaid overtime, it doesn’t take a genius to consider how that will affect their motivation.

This is the second a series of articles giving the new or experienced managers simple reminders of how they can motivate their staff.

Tip Four: Personal Development Reviews

Avoid only having annual appraisals. Make it a priority to regularly meet individually with your staff to discuss their progress, development and results. If you’re pro-actively investing in them, they are likely to be reciprocal. This also avoids the stress of holding annual reviews which invariably and mistakenly revolve around salary or financial issues.

Tip Five: Set Clear Goals

Make sure that you tell your people what you want, and when you want it by. Make sure your targets for them are SMART; Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Timed. It’s important that they fully understand these SMART targets and you agree them together, collaboratively, to ensure they actually commit to achieve them.

Tip Six: Think out of the box

As a manager, especially a new one, then you may feel pressure to handle your employees according to a historical precedence that has been set. Remember, your bosses are only really interested in results; don’t be afraid to do things differently if you think it will work more effectively to motivate your staff. Don’t hide behind the tired old phrase ‘That’s the way it’s always been done’.

Scores of managers enrol in management training courses to get the most out of their employees. In today’s challenging economic climate it’s never been more important to get the most out of your team.

Here are some motivation tips to remind you how to stimulate your staff:

Tip One: Encourage Innovation

Provide time and encouragement to support your staff to conceive and implement innovative solutions in their work. They know their job function, and if you encourage their creativity instead of micro-managing their every move, you may be surprised at the results they generate.

Tip Two: Positive Behaviour

Become aware of how you deal with and treat your staff; put yourself in their shoes from time to time. Consider whether you’re behaviour or actions are more or less likely to motivate to produce good work. Inexperienced managers will often be unconsciously incompetent when it comes to motivational behaviour. Invest in your personal development to learn how to motivate.

Tip Three: Open Communication

Often new managers feel they have to hoard information and responsibility to themselves. If you hold regular team meetings and share information about the challenges the organisation faces, you are more likely to get your people on board.

Irish author and management expert Charles Handy is a leading thinker, and some would say philosopher in the field of management and organisational behaviour. The organisation Thinkers 50 ranks him as in the top 20 of the worlds most important and influential business thinkers living today.

Handy, who describes himself more as a ‘social philosopher’ than a management guru is perhaps best known for three theories; the ‘portfolio worker’, the ‘shamrock organisation’, and the ‘Greek Gods’ view of management cultures – categorising four different types of culture each having an analogy to the religious cults of ancient Greece.

The ‘portfolio worker’ is a term to describe someone who works independently of an organisation, and whose approach is based on a wide variety of experiences, attitudes and work practices. It is said that these individuals utilise their dynamic skill sets and personal development to adapt to an ever changing workplace of the future. Many agree that the growth of small businesses and entrepreneurs in the UK illustrates the validity of this theory.

The ‘shamrock organisation’ describes an organisational structure where key management and staff are supported by part-time employees and outsourcing companies. It falls into three parts; the first leaf represents the core staff, the second leaf is the ‘contractual fringe’ that provides a vital contribution but is external to the organisation and the third leaf comprises of portfolio workers, temporary and part time workers.

Handy is active in the support of management training courses and champions the need for education.