Personalities

As a manager, it is essential to understand the different personalities you will be dealing with on a daily basis. Personalities can range from pragmatic to extroverted, and from analytical to amiable. Whether it be a negotiation, or simply staff relations, it is important to recognize the personality traits of the people you deal with. People are different. You have to understand your audience in order to communicate clearly. No matter what your own personality and character traits are, always be sincere. Say what you mean, mean what you say, but don’t be mean when you say it. A general rule of thumb is to be soft on the people but hard on the issues.

Staffing

In any organization… People make the difference. Being properly staffed means having the right amount of people for the amount of work. Being overstaffed, or understaffed, negatively impacts the bottom line. Being overstaffed is an unnecessary burden on overhead and tends to breed mediocrity. Being understaffed can place an unreasonable burden on key personnel, causing them to make unnecessary mistakes and become burned out. Understanding your staffing needs is part of proper planning. Always be recruiting. Good people have always been, and will continue to be, hard to find. It’s too late to start looking for people when you need them. You must think ahead and plan your staffing requirements. This is especially important in the start up and wind down phases of a projects life cycle.

Circumstance

Circumstance is that element in our lives of which we have little control over. Our environment, unanticipated occurrences, and the actions of others will at times challenge our ability to accomplish our plans. We are not immune from circumstance, but it is important to understand that circumstance does not determine who we are, it only reveals our own character. Circumstance is merely the canvas upon which we will paint our life’s masterpiece. Never allow circumstance to thwart your plans or diminish your goals. Be realistic with the conditions you face and reevaluate your circumstance to identify how best to proceed.