People-work Not Paperwork

It's the simplest management philosophy ever: people-work not paperwork.

Your job as a manager is to manage people. Make your people your first priority - always.

Your paperwork and meeting with other managers should be secondary to managing your people. After all, the title is Manager - not paperworker, not meetinger. So do just what the title says - manage.

• Move your meetings with other managers to off-hours and lunch-hours.
• Stop hiding behind paperwork in your office.
• Stop making phone calls from anyone but your people more important than your people.
• Start engaging your people the same way you want them to engage themselves in their work (if you won't do it, why should they?)
• Start giving your people honest, consistent feedback.
• Expect them to trust you not because you're their manager but because you take an active interest in their success.

If you aren't touching each member of your team at least once a day, you're doing it wrong. Someone's going to do it better and your good people will be inclined to go to work for them instead.

People-work not paperwork. Now get out of your office and go meet the people you're supposed to be leading.