Common Management Problems and Structured Techniques to Address Them
Today, we discuss the common management problems faced by managers, such as being pulled in different directions, dealing with team issues, and balancing their workload. It also introduces structured management as an effective approach to addressing these problems and developing talent within the organization. The article provides solutions to three common problems and promises to discuss them in detail in future articles of Management Column.
Most managers have a feeling deep down that they are like a spinning top, constantly being pulled in different directions. One moment, the boss needs their attention, the next, it’s a subordinate with a problem. The majority of their time is spent dealing with team issues.
Think about it: when a subordinate’s work progress is lagging, the manager must quickly put aside their own tasks and investigate the situation. They must work with the subordinate to break down the problem and find a solution. If a subordinate is struggling with their workload, the manager must take the time to talk to them and help them relieve their stress.
If a subordinate struggles with a task for an extended period, the manager may end up taking over and completing it themselves. This can create resentment in the subordinate, who may feel restricted in their development and that they were not properly taught. The manager’s superiors may also be dissatisfied, feeling that the manager has not developed talent within the organization.
In addition to these issues, managers must also spend time in meetings, providing feedback, coaching, and motivating their team. This requires a significant investment of time, but the results may not be immediately apparent. Furthermore, managers may not have enough time to align with their superiors or build relationships with colleagues in other departments, which can put them in a passive position within the organization.
To address these issues, there is a management approach called structured management. A mature manager doesn’t rely solely on experience or intuition to solve problems; they use a structured approach.
Here are three common problems that managers face:
- How can they get subordinates to proactively provide feedback?
- How can they develop their subordinates and cultivate talent within the organization?
- How can they balance their workload and avoid being pulled in too many directions?
Mostly, there are solutions corresponding to each problem from managers in common as follows.
Firstly, to encourage subordinates to provide feedback, managers can establish regular communication channels. They can set up regular one-on-one meetings, create a suggestion box or feedback form, or use other methods to solicit feedback on a regular basis.
Secondly, to balance their workload, managers can use priority management techniques. They can prioritize tasks based on importance and urgency and delegate tasks to subordinates who are capable of handling them. They can also use tools like calendars and task lists to stay organized.
Thirdly, to develop subordinates and cultivate talent within the organization, managers can use performance management techniques. They can set clear goals for each subordinate and provide regular feedback on their progress. They can also provide training and development opportunities and create a culture of continuous learning.
However, we can try more effective ways to solve these problems, and managers can use structured management techniques. Which, structured management is an effective approach for managers who feel like they are constantly being pulled in different directions. By using structured techniques to address common problems, managers can become more effective leaders and develop talent within their organizations. Thus, in the next articles of management column, we will discuss each problem above concisely one by one.
