Seasoned managers think they have heard it all: total quality management, teams, coaching, group decision-making and empowerment, among others. Have any of these approaches solved the myriad management problems out there? No, and they are not going to.

Being a good manager is an art. Supervisors are expected to be good managers as well as good leaders. They are expected to be task-and people-oriented by getting things done and making sure the staff is happy in the process. This is a monumental task at best, and there is no magic formula that will teach a person how to do this. You must continually seek knowledge through experience and take advantage of professional development opportunities throughout your career.

Even though there is no hidden management secret, success in management is about getting a few fundamental aspects right and building your style from that point. Here are a few general management principles that should be implemented in any management style. How you work from those principles is up to you.

Principle #1:
Recognize the contributions of people.

Developing rewards, recognition, and career opportunities are critical and make a difference in getting extraordinary things accomplished. In polling non-managers, the ability to recognize and acknowledge the contributions of others was one of the most important skills managers need. However, creating rewards and recognition systems is not as easy as it seems. Extensive research has shown that some reward systems actually de-motivate workers.

In order to achieve the desired results from rewards and recognition, managers need to follow a few simple rules. First, make performance and reward expectations known and achievable. If employees do not know what they should be striving for or if it is unattainable, why should they even try?

People need to be able to trust the integrity of the leader before they are willing to follow.

Second, feedback needs to be provided to the employee. This means positive and negative feedback. If managers do not say anything about performance, employees either feel their performance is okay or the manager does not know what is going on with them.

Third, reward only those who meet the standards. If everyone is rewarded regardless of productivity and achievement, reward and recognition lose their effectiveness and become a de-motivator to employees. "Why perform if I get the same raise as the person who does nothing?"

Fourth, reward actions as they occur. Do not wait for a staff meeting to recognize employees. Waiting makes employees feel managers did not notice their performance. Lastly, feedback needs to come from all levels of the organization. It is not the duty solely of the direct supervisor to give feedback. It should come from peers and supervisors up the chain of command. Many managers feel they recognize employees sufficiently, but when was the last time you actually asked your staff? Staff members often feel differently than the supervisor.

Principle #2:
Enabling others to act.

Enabling others to act includes fostering collaboration among staff, encouraging cooperation, treating employees as valuable assets, creating teams and establishing a people-oriented business. In order to do this, managers need to treat people like adults by giving them respect and dignity.

It is not necessary to hold the hands of most employees. Giving them the freedom to do their job will allow them to do it their own way. They feel in control. Sometimes this is difficult for some managers who like things done their own way. However, allowing people to take the initiative to create their own work patterns produces happier employees.

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A cooperative work environment is paramount in our business. Events, programs, and park maintenance do not get done alone. It takes the entire organization pulling together to produce the quality services desired by the public. This positive work environment creates a camaraderie that makes people want to come to work every day.

Furthermore, people need to be treated as the agency's most valuable asset. Although park and recreation agencies are accountable to the public, it is the staff that is the driving force behind this accountability. Managers need to protect and support their staff.

Enabling staff to act gives people control over their destinies and can make average employees great employees. In doing this, the manager should not feel as though they have lost control of the department. Rather they should feel a sense of cooperation by spreading decision-making and accountability throughout the organization. This moves a manager's role from one that exudes authority to one that inspires employees.

Principle #3:
Continually train and invest in employees.

Training and educating staff demonstrates that the organization is willing to invest in the individual, and that this person is considered an important asset. Training employees should be more far-reaching than teaching the skills needed to do a particular job. Employees need to know the total job, the policies of the company, customer needs and what other people are doing in the organization. This gives workers flexibility in decision-making, and reduces waste of resources and cumbersome, redundant methods.

It is easy to think that training and development only benefit the individual or a couple of people in the department. In actuality, an agency is a system of interrelated parts. When one part becomes weak, the entire agency is weakened. An organization is only as strong as its weakest employees. Developing employees makes a contribution to the individual as well as the entire organization.

Principle #4:
Allow employees to take risks.

Researchers Warren Bennis and Burt Nanus interviewed hundreds of top executives throughout the world. They found that failure among these people was nonexistent.

The executives learned from their false steps and regarded them as opportunities. As a result agencies should honor their errors because, in order to advance, it is necessary to go outside the conventional methods.

Mistakes are the only way to step forward. In order to improve the way things are, taking risks is inevitable and the price paid for innovation, change and learning. Risk-taking, mistakes and errors should be viewed as positive and acceptable and something that is necessary in order for organizations to grow and develop. If an employee is not taking risks, they are not doing anything new.

Status quo in an organization should be unacceptable. Oftentimes it is difficult for managers to accept what they see as failures. Changing this perspective can help. It is okay to view errors as building blocks to future growth rather than a reflection on the managers lack of skills.

Principle #5:
Foster trust within the organization.

According to Bennis and Nanus: "Trust implies accountability, predictability, reliability. It's what sells products and keeps organizations humming. Trust is the give that maintains organizational integrity"

Repeatedly, research has found that honesty is the most admirable quality in a leader. People need to be able to trust the integrity of the leader before they are willing to follow.

Trust is an umbrella term that can include such things as integrity, ethics, honesty, and principles. Trustworthiness connotes competence, and it cannot be mandated or purchased. The accumulation of trust is earned and does not come from reading books and attending seminars. It is who you are as a person and reflects in the resulting management styles.

Although these principles are not new to many managers, it is necessary for seasoned and new managers alike to give them some thought. Very few people are excellent managers. Continual learning and improvement are necessary.

Starting with these principles can help. It is important for managers to step out of their daily routine, turn off the voice mail and e-mail and give them some strong consideration. Think about how well you implement these practices in your management style. Then, take a risk and ask the staff. They will undoubtedly have a different perception of your management techniques.

Be willing to accept their feedback as constructive criticism. If they trust you, they will be honest. If you trust them, you will ask.

AMY R. HURD, Ph.D.. CPRP,
is on assistant professor of Illinois State University.

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