In one of my early blog posts titled The Effective Manager published 3 years ago, I took a stab at listing down what I thought were some key traits a Manager must possess in order to be effective. Funny thing about thoughts from the past is that it makes us realize how much we’ve changed over the years, in our thinking and in turn our actions. Though I continue to believe that Accountability, Communication, Relationships, Delegation, Confidence, Processes and Fire-fighting are all important qualities required of a Manager to lead his/her followers, today I have a slightly different viewpoint on what makes a Manager effective.

Managing effectively is a leadership skill, and it is more about the solutions and less about the means or the results.

In a review of Tina Fey’s “Bossypants” Lessons for the Workplace book, a BNET article quotes Fey’s writings on a key rule of improvisation as being the importance of always contributing to a discussion. She writes: “In other words, whatever the problem, be part of the solution. Don’t just sit around raising questions and pointing out obstacles.”

This is true to every role we play in life. When we are faced with problems how do we contribute and more importantly, do we contribute to the problem or a solution? What is our instant reaction? Do we cry for help? Do we look for a hole to hide in? Or do we think solutions?

I believe that an Effective Manager is one who’s first action is to present solutions to a problem, then he helps choose the best way forward and provides direction to his team with confidence, optimism and determination to push aside any obstacles in the way to achieve a desired result.

The mindset matters, not the skills.

Sometimes all that it takes to get back on your feet is an extra push. It comes in the form of a listen, an understanding, a few words of encouragement, and some advice.

I get that push every week from a few individuals who set aside 90 minutes of their busy week, for me. I’d like to think of us as a unique group of trusted friends and we have a simple motto – to listen, to question, to encourage, and to hold one another accountable. Accountability, that was the driving force.

My first real taste of it was Weight Watchers. I joined a group of work buddies to shed off pounds using the WW points-based disciplined eating (not diet) method. Every week, we would get together to weigh-in, discuss the issues we faced and share stories to encourage one another. It worked. The power of Accountability became evident in our reducing waist-lines and disappearing double chins.

Keith Ferrazzi, in his inspiring book called “Who’s Got Your Back?”, talks about the origin of Weight Watchers and its accountability-based model. He says that it is the backbone for creating “Lifeline Relationships – deep, close relationships with a few key trusted individuals who will offer the encouragement, feedback, and generous mutual support that every one of us needs to reach our full potential.”

I call it the Circle of Influence, a way for us to get influenced and uncover solutions.

Churches have accountability groups where you get support and guidance by giving faith. Successful people in business keep the company of trusted advisers, peers and experts from their industry. They share experiences and ideas to gain insight, strategies, to make better business decisions.

You have to give in order to gain.

Dr. Steve R Covey defined that “A Circle of Influence encompasses those concerns that we can do something about. They are concerns that we have some control over.”

What are the concerns you’ve control over? What if, you were to convert them to your goals? What if, you didn’t have to work on those goals on your own? What if, you had a group of trusted advisers to give you that extra push? What if, you could have them check on your progress every week, discuss and remove your roadblocks?

What if, you had a Circle of Influence to give you that extra push?

Rob Enderle points out in his post “Why Layoffs Should be Avoided” on IT Business Edge:

Rankings are largely subjective and don’t take into account the health of the team. They also don’t take into account informal relationships between groups, executives, customers or the inherent value of the knowledge the employee has. And people certainly aren’t ranked according to their real value to the company. How would you even calculate that?

He’s right. How do we  as leaders rank performance? How can we find the right balance between the measurable and the unmeasurable achievements, between the subjective and the objective?

We are all playing the game one way or another and I think that’s fine but how do we make it a fair game for all? Can we? Or is there too much at stake?

To a great extent, I think it starts with trust and as Rob points out:

Trust is so hard to build and shouldn’t be sacrificed so easily.

But can it all be left to trust? Doesn’t trust make it subjective?

My take: We must trust the system but the system itself cannot be built on trust. Goals needs to be specific and measurable. Ranking needs to be justifiable without prejudice, without emotions, purely on results.

The question I will leave you with is: How do we build such a system?

I am the one behind the wheel. My role is to get us to the destination. All they have to do is to decide on a place to dine. I can understand if the confusion is due to the countless cuisines to choose from or maybe due to our various taste palates. No, that’s not why a simple decision to choose a restaurant turns into a long and overdrawn process for my friends, while I aimlessly drive around. We are too considerate. We want to be non-imposing. So instead of being forthright about our preference we respond with,

“I don’t know.”

“What do you like?”

“You decide.”

“I am ok with anything.”

Well… guess what? Anything’s not on the menu.

Project teams are no different. When there is a problem at hand and we need to make a quick collective decision, we go into long discussions, debates and arguments… till it comes to a point when the leader has to step in and make a decision.

Hey team, why can’t you make decisions collectively?

Are you too creative with your thought process that you find it tough to get the point across and convince anyone?

Are you afraid that your decision will get shot down and you don’t want to look like a fool?

Is it because you don’t want to be held accountable that you leave that decision for others to make, even though you know you know what will work?

Or do you not care?

Whatever your reason, you seem to forget that you are part of a team. You are not alone. There are no bad decisions, no wrong moves. There are only lessons to learn from. So be open minded and give creativity a chance. Encourage and support new ideas. Create an environment driven by accountability and trust.

Make decisions.