Forming a team is the first step towards successful work, but the manager must not only select experienced personnel, but also gain authority. Building internal communication links, gaining authority among subordinates and demonstrating professional flexibility are factors that determine the viability of a management strategy. We talk about methods that will help a manager gain authority in the team , and ways to help avoid aggravation of internal relationships.
How much does “cheap authority” cost a manager?
Authority
- this is the ability of a manager to influence the actions of subordinates without resorting to administrative power.
In order to increase their authority, novice, inexperienced managers have a desire (sometimes under pressure from the old-timers of the team) to make quick decisions to please their subordinates, but to the detriment of the company and the benefit of the business. This seems like an easier path than learning basic administrative techniques. But what is easy now often leads to “difficult things later.”
People rarely have limits in their demands.
It is not for nothing that authority acquired in this way is called cheap. People rarely have limits in their demands. Soon the manager will not be able to satisfy the growing appetites of his subordinates.
There will be two ways out: give back and take away everything that you previously gave, or become a controlled appendage for your subordinates. In both cases, cheap authority is shattered. Either the employees will get angry or will not care about anything. Both options will cause anger among top managers, and perhaps a desire to get rid of such a would-be leader.
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Influence
Influence is the use of specific means by which one person brings about a change in behavior, attitude, etc.
another person. The means can be very varied: from a request made in a whisper in the ear, to a knife put to the throat; from expressing ideas to violence. The manager must imagine the effect of his influence on the behavior of the future performer. As a result, the leader and the performer learn similar or dissimilar behavior patterns for the future.
Common sense dictates that in order to have influence, you must be able to control something that matters to the performer. What creates his dependence on you and forces him to act as you wish. This “something” is the basic needs of the performer.
Influence is based on addressing the active needs of the performer.
No one can influence people in any situation. Influence depends on the specific situation, on the abilities of the leader, as well as on the person being influenced. A manager depends on his immediate superior, subordinates and colleagues. Without the assistance of these people, who are part of the leader's environment, he cannot influence and carry out his functions.
The manager must influence subordinates in a way that motivates them to action, to actual work, to submission necessary to achieve the goals of the company. In order for influence to be effective, the manager must understand the interests of the company and his role capabilities, show will and use power. To influence, you must have a basis of influence - power.
Results, systematic approach to management
- First, the manager needs to master basic administration skills (setting tasks, control, planning, regulation).
- The authority of a manager is a mandatory resource that complements management skills and allows one to perform management functions. A leader without authority is forced to fight sabotage and Italian strikes, instead of working together with his subordinates to achieve their goals.
- Isolating specific factors (the manager’s actions) and meaningful, gradual work with each of them will help to gain authority among subordinates.
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Methods for gaining the trust of employees of an online store and other companies
Innovations - put off until later
When starting to work with a team that worked well before the new manager arrived, you should not be overly active in introducing innovations. An observational position can be taken from several weeks to 2-3 months to determine the internal microclimate, social roles of personnel (leaders, performers, others) and the personal potential of each. At this stage, there is no need to put pressure on the staff: observe, suggest and establish trusting relationships, but while maintaining subordination.
On equal terms with subordinates
Employees value leaders who don't wave a managerial position like a flag. The combination of leadership personal qualities, empathy and administrative rules produces positive results: the leader not only gains authority, but also trust, which stimulates the desire to work as a team . It is necessary to show employees that the manager is with them on the same ship, the success of which depends on the contribution of each person, regardless of their position.
Carrot and stick method in human resource management
It is impossible to create a healthy microclimate in a team using only fines and other aggressive methods of stimulating positive work results. The distribution of “carrots and sticks” is carried out in a 50/50 ratio: the best employees of the month receive bonuses and bonuses for production, the worst ones receive a “bare” salary and an incentive to work more diligently.
Motivation methods that serve as carrots give the team the opportunity to understand that the manager cares not only about achieving business indicators, but also about his subordinates. Hot lunches in the office, the opportunity to come to work with a child, a coffee machine, a rest room - these little things create a favorable environment that has an indirect impact on the attitude towards the manager and the overall efficiency of the staff.
Lack of strict limits
Lack of initiative and the opportunity to express one’s opinion without the threat of dismissal are factors that have a demoralizing effect on staff. When trying to gain authority, a leader must take into account the opinions of all team members and also take into account rational suggestions. The final decision remains with the manager, but each specialist has the right to his own point of view: it is necessary to give the staff a certain amount of freedom, which will allow them to reveal their potential and receive interesting ideas that can become points of growth. A liberal leader who supports staff initiatives will gain trust faster than a dictator, whose opinion is the ultimate truth and is not subject to discussion.
Always in touch
Constant communication with staff is an important element in establishing trusting relationships and stimulating interest in the success of the common cause . The method in question does not mean calls after midnight, although they are acceptable in emergency cases, but communication can be maintained through instant messengers and even social networks. If the manager sets the work format from 9:00 to 17:00 and not a minute more, then employees will do the same, which will reduce the level of engagement.
Personal and work issues are equally important
The manager must equally quickly resolve both work and personal issues of employees. It is necessary to equate business processes with people's needs in order to gain trust. For example, a monthly plan is signed within 10 minutes, a vacation schedule or an application for financial assistance is signed at the last moment after repeated reminders. this approach as neglect, and therefore the attitude towards the manager will be corresponding.
No favorites
A manager should not single out employees who demonstrate loyalty to him or who have already established personal communication. The presence of favorites divides the team and causes conflict situations. You can highlight and reward staff, but only for achievements in work and other areas directly related to their professional activities. A manager, in principle, should give up friendly relations at work; if they exist, do not advertise them in order to maintain subordination and not undermine their authority.
Exercising the executive muscle
As Abel Posse said, “Authority is a good thing, but it is fragile like glass, and contempt sticks to a person like ringworm.”
. On my own behalf, I’ll add that before you crash, you still need to earn authority! To do this, I propose to perform a small workshop:
- Make a table with a list of factors for regular (once a month/quarter) assessment of your actions to work with your authority. Take factors from the article and add those that you consider important for yourself personally.
- Rate each factor (for example, on a five-point scale), how much are you working with it?
- Write a short comment to the assessment: what actions increased/decreased your authority, what can be done to improve the situation?
- Compare with the previous period. Describe what you managed to do and what prevented you from doing so. What needs to change in actions to achieve more.
Good luck in gaining and increasing your authority! Share your influencer stories in the comments.
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The first 10 ways to make yourself respected at work
- Keep an eye on your appearance
- Remember names
- Observe etiquette
- Offer your help
People escort you according to their minds, but they still meet them based on their clothes - there is no point in arguing with this statement. Make sure your appearance is impeccable and stylish. Follow the dress code, but do not lose your individuality so as not to get lost in the crowd of your colleagues.
People like it when people pay attention to them. Hearing your own name from the lips of your interlocutor is music to the ears. Give your co-workers pleasure - try to remember their names.
IMPORTANT! This will help you gain respect in the team: if you show interest, you will be rewarded in kind.
Obviously, politeness helps to establish strong social bonds. Say hello, wish you bon appetit, congratulate you on the holidays, do not allow yourself obscene language and insults.
Why not lend a helping hand to a colleague if he really needs it? Help can be of two types:
- professional - you act as a senior mentor and willingly share the secrets of your craft;
- psychological - you support the person, give him advice “for life” (the main thing is not to overdo it and not become a vest for tears).
This behavior will help raise your authority in the eyes of your colleagues.
- Work conscientiously
- Constantly improve
- Rejoice in other people's successes
- Take criticism appropriately
- Don't show your excitement
- Don't consider yourself smarter than others
- Avoid moralizing. If a colleague complains about life, talks about problems in the family, do not give categorical assessments, be softer.
- Don’t teach your colleagues how to work ; they will understand their craft without your valuable recommendations. Help correctly so as not to lower the self-esteem of the person who needs help.
Ideally, work should bring us pleasure. Reality, of course, shatters the rose-colored glasses. But if you fall in love with your line of work, a very favorable “aura” will automatically arise around you, which people always flock to, like moths to a light.
ADVICE! Charge and infect everyone around you with your energy and interest, make far-reaching plans.
At the very least, this will help you earn the respect of your boss. A good specialist is always interested in further development. The world is changing rapidly, and resting on your laurels is a path that leads to a dead end. Look for advanced training courses, work on your shortcomings, offer fresh ideas.
Envy at work is a very destructive feeling and will not lead you to success. The ability to be happy for others is an important sign of an accomplished personality. Praise your colleague for a successfully completed project, congratulate him on a good performance at the conference. This will help you make yourself respected in the team.
It is very unpleasant to admit your mistakes, but without them, full development is impossible. If mistakes are pointed out to you, pay attention to them to avoid mistakes in the future.
BY THE WAY! Don’t start arguing for no reason - just thank them for the detailed analysis of your work.
Take your time to show this emotion. It shows that you have lost control of the situation for some time. Try to cope with the experience without bringing it into public discussion. Confidence in your own abilities will help you earn respect in the team.
Even if this is true. Nobody likes teaching.
I recommend watching this useful video about trust and respect in a team:
Forming factors
German sociologist Max Weber named three sources (prerequisites) for the formation of public recognition and respect:
- Traditions and habits. The longer a person leads, the more others become accustomed to it.
- High official status. If a person has the status of a leader, director, then it is easier for us to recognize him as a leader. Weber called this rational validity.
- Affective legitimacy. Leadership qualities and charisma are what create informal leaders. These people are confident in themselves, think soberly and clearly, know how to lead, speak beautifully, can unite people and lead them.
Based on these criteria, three types of authority can be distinguished: more formal, less formal and personal. In the first case, we are talking about respect for the position, in the second – for status, in the third – for the individual.
How to develop leadership skills
For the initial development of leadership potential, it is recommended to perform several exercises. Perhaps for some they will seem ineffective, but not for the future leader. But you are not risking anything and, it is likely that you will feel an unprecedented surge of strength, your character will become stronger, and interest will appear in the eyes of others.
Open a dialogue with your inner critic
A person’s inner voice often forces him to make not entirely correct critical remarks about other people. Everyone needs to learn to resist him, including the leader. Listen to what he tells you, feel irritated by his statements, try to understand who you really are when he is silent.
An excellent solution for analyzing the current situation is to keep a diary. You need to constantly write down the thoughts of your second “I” into it, without hiding anything. In this case, one condition must be observed: the inner voice must speak in the second person. If you think about it, each of us had thoughts that I couldn’t do this because I was a weakling, had no willpower, and was lazy. You must answer your inner critic. Well, everyone decides for themselves.
Celebrate your successes every day
Before going to bed, the future team leader is recommended to make a list of tasks that he managed to adequately complete over the past day. Even if there were not entirely successful moments, it is not worth mentioning them. You should only write about positive results. This is work and not easy. But by doing this regularly, you will develop the habit of keeping a diary every day. You definitely need to be persistent, then it will be easier.
Record and listen to the confessions of loved ones about your strengths and weaknesses
This is a difficult exercise that requires courage. It is absolutely necessary to complete it. Seek help from people you trust and ask them to talk into a tape recorder about your positive and negative aspects of your character. A leader must know his strengths and weaknesses directly. There should be approximately the same number of advantages and disadvantages. After this, listen to the recording carefully. This is a worthy step forward for a leader. It will help get rid of internal tension. You can use a notebook instead of a voice recorder. Who likes it more?
Power
Power is the ability to influence the behavior of other people, the ability to influence their activities using any means: will, coercion, encouragement, suggestion, intrigue, etc.
Typically, a manager has power over his subordinates because they depend on him in matters such as the content of work assignments, salary increases, promotions, etc. However, in some cases, subordinates have power over the leader, since he depends on them in matters such as cooperation, obtaining reliable information, etc.
A successful leader will always maintain a balance of power over subordinates and his dependence on them. Exercising power, he will take care of the implementation of group goals, of helping the group with the means to achieve them.
4.2. Influence through participation
Influence through participation goes even further than persuasion to recognize the power and abilities of the subordinate.
Here the leader simply directs efforts to work together. This facilitates the exchange of information and unification of efforts into a single position that both sincerely believe in. Participatory influence succeeds because people inspired by high-level needs tend to work hardest towards the goal that was formulated with their participation.
Participation in decision making clearly appeals to higher-level needs—the needs of power, competence, success, self-expression.
Therefore, this approach should only be used in cases where such needs are active motivating factors, and provided that the subordinate can be relied on to work towards solving the problem that he himself has chosen.
Unfortunately, research has shown that participatory management is not suitable for all situations. Performers who dislike ambiguity, are not very individualistic, and prefer highly regulated tasks perform best in more controlled environments. One of the reasons why participation in management is not so widespread may be the fact that managers do not want to give up their traditional powers and prerogatives.
What it is
Social psychology has its own explanation of the term authority, what it is and how to obtain such status. In everyday understanding, this word means a person or organization that has a great influence on society. Unlike tyranny, recognition is obtained through non-violent means. It is given for intellectual achievements or moral qualities.
Definition in psychology
In social psychology, the term authority is explained a little differently; this concept affects the social sphere. It means a special form of influence on a group of people.
Important! Fans uncritically accept information from their idol and unconditionally believe him.
The main method of management is belief. People voluntarily recognize the power of an authority and agree to follow him. Not every individual knows how to use authority. Such influence is formed due to special personal qualities and abilities to organize general activities.
The concept of personal authority
This term refers to special personal development that reaches a high level. Such a person commands respect from many people. Often this type of power is based on charisma, i.e. unconscious attraction.
A person with personal authority has special energy, passion, and the ability to speak emotionally and inspiringly. He has good looks, good rhetorical skills, and is confident.
Personal authority is a synthesis of innate and acquired qualities. Every leader who wants to become successful should acquire a similar form of influence.
Instrument of power
Many people strive to take a leadership position, but it is not easy to do. It is possible to obtain the position of chief by force, but this will not give complete satisfaction from having power.
Authority in society means a lot and provides great opportunities.
The peculiarity of authority is that people themselves choose whom to follow and whom to believe. They do not need to be forced or forced. An individual with this form of influence knows how to persuade, and there is no doubt about the correctness of his decisions.
In social psychology, it is believed that authority is based on trust, respect, and democracy. This is what is useful for recognizing yourself as a leader. All other methods will not give long-term results.
In pedagogy, authority is also important, since the obedience of students depends on it. Modern children will not respect a teacher just because of the age difference. Therefore, an adult will have to find ways to win the favor of schoolchildren.
