How to be a Servant Manager

Managers who want to make empowerment of employees, customers, and clients their top priority are called servant managers. New and experienced managers wanting to empower others around them should check out my book The Servant Manager.

I developed this book over several years of teaching a course in servant management at the IRS and later, after retirement, consulting with 12 excellent companies on their best management practices.

My qualifications to write this book:

·         30+ years of management experience at all levels from front-line to executive management of 1,200 employees

·         completed more than 2,500 mediations, negotiations, and facilitations

·         written 55+ articles and 12 books

·         trained in mediation at the Hamline Law School and am a Qualified Mediator with the Minnesota Supreme Court

·         co-wrote a two-week course and have taught a servant management course over several years to more than 600 managers where I received outstanding ratings

·         after reaching out to the 50 best places to work through Glass Door, I worked with 12 companies in further developing and elaborating the 203 tips

HALF PRICE OFFER:

If you would like to order this book at half price ($60 savings), send me an email at mg@mikegreg.com with the subject line SERVANT MANAGER OFFER and I will make the book available to you at a special price of $60 plus $10 shipping.

OUTLINE OF BOOK:

THE SERVANT MANAGER is a 496-page guide which presents 203 management tips within 16 chapters:

CHAPTER 1 HOW TO START RE-ORIENTING YOURSELF 1 Open Your Mind to New Leadership Thinking 2 Identify Your Enemies of Learning So You Can Address Them 3 Develop Your Idea List – An Initial Self-Assessment 4 Know Your Organization’s DNA 5 Understand and Use Power in the Organization

CHAPTER 2 HOW TO STEP INTO LEADERSHIP 6 Answer Question ‘Why Was a Leadership Position Your Choice?’ 7 Write Down the Characteristics of an Ideal Leader 8 Understand Leadership versus Management 9 Apply Different Leadership Theories Depending on the Situation 10 Apply Techniques for Managing Former Peers 11 Write a Memo for Your Team 12 Implement an Effective Transition 13 Think Like a Manager 14 Value Differences by Directing and Supporting Behaviors 15 Adapt Your Leadership Style to the Situation 16 Know Leadership Competencies for Every Level of Management 17 Prepare a Leadership Learning Plan (SMART) 18 Manage Your Employees Remotely 19 Develop Peer Leadership

CHAPTER 3 HOW TO UNDERSTAND YOURSELF AND OTHERS 20 Learn About the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) 21 Learn About Myers-Briggs MBTI Functional Differences 22 Understand How MBTI Differences Contribute to Your Team 23 Pick Up MBTI Behavioral Clues During Conversations 24 Communicate Effectively Using MBTI Insights 25 Build on MBTI Strengths, Work Around MBTI Weaknesses 26 Set Goals and Delegate Using MBTI Traits 27 Use MBTI to Manage People Effectively 28 Have Fun With MBTI Statements 29 Learn Self-Disclosure with the Johari Window 30 Reap the Benefits of Self-Disclosure

CHAPTER 4 HOW TO COMMUNICATE EFFECTIVELY AS A MANAGER 31 Carry Out Effective Two-Way Communication 32 Listen Intentionally Rather than Pseudo-Listening 33 Overcome the Barriers to Listening 34 Apply Active Listening Techniques 35 Choose Questions to Obtain Specific Types of Responses 36 Practice Active Listening 37 Adopt Interest-Based Problem-solving (RIGS) 38 Mediate Using FIFI 39 Provide Constructive Feedback 40 Receive Feedback with an Open Mind 41 Apply the Six-Step Constructive Feedback Model 42 Feedforward to Produce Results 43 Deal Constructively with Difficult People 44 Approach Hard Conversations with Patience and Understanding 45 Forgive Others 46 Apply Common Sense Oral Communication Techniques 47 Nutshell Your Idea and Teach It 48 Use the Voice Message System (VMS) as a Key to Success 49 Learn to Write Effectively 50 Understand and Apply Writing Fundamentals 51 Write Effective Emails 52 Organize Effective Presentations 53 Make Effective Presentations 54 Monitor and Evaluate Your Keys to Success

CHAPTER 5 HOW TO COACH FOR SUCCESS 55 Control Your Temper by Channeling Anger to Constructive Coaching 56 Understand the Characteristics of Effective Coaches 57 Widen Your Views Toward Coaching 58 Hold Coaching Conversations 59 Have Conversations with Results 60 Build Self-Esteem of Your Subordinates 61 Sort Facts from Perceptions 62 Define What’s Possible

CHAPTER 6 HOW TO BECOME RESPECTED AS AN ETHICAL MANAGER 63 Face Up to Tough Ethical Choices 64 Make Ethical Decisions Based on Golden Principles 65 Develop a Good Working Relationship With Your Supervisor 66 Follow Your Leader by Sharing the Common Purpose 67 Have the Courage to Challenge Groupthink 68 Share Power and Invite Feedback 69 Ask Skillful Questions as an Alternative to Feedback 70 Minimize Defensiveness When Giving Feedback 71 Raise Issues When the Time is Right 72 Ask Yourself Why You are Raising an Issue, for the Right Reasons 73 Apologize Properly 74 Test Gossip with Three Questions 75 Demonstrate Honesty in Seven Ways 76 Understand Personal and Professional Boundaries

CHAPTER 7 HOW TO MAKE THE MOST OUT OF MEETINGS 77 Avoid the Top Ten Most Frequently Reported Meeting Problems 78 Assess Yourself as a Meeting Leader 79 Assess Yourself as a Meeting Participant 80 Know the Barriers to Effective Meetings 81 Make Meetings Work 82 Know Your Role in the Meeting and Be Prepared 83 Ensure Meeting Attendees Know their Specific Duties 84 Ask These Questions When Preparing for a Meeting 85 Prepare Your Agenda with the Audience and Outcomes in Mind 86 Start the Meeting with the Right Tone 87 Develop Ground Rules and Ask for Input 88 Take Charge of Meetings 89 Ask Facilitative Questions 90 Brainstorm Ideas 91 Monitor Time, Close the Meeting, and Evaluate the Meeting 92 Consider the Unique Challenges of Remote Meeting Management 93 Learn How to Schedule a Conference Call 94 Apply Best Practices and Use Ice Breakers

CHAPTER 8 HOW TO FIND THE WORK-LIFE BALANCE 95 Look at Web Resources on Stress and Health Risks 96 Take the Work-Life Balance Test 97 Know Your Stress Comfort Zone 98 Know Your Own Stress Inventory 99 Know and Address Physical Environmental Stressors 100 Know and Address Task Stressors 101 Know and Address Interpersonal Stressors 102 Realize that Stress is Perceived Differently by Every Employee 103 Look for Signs of Workplace Stress 104 Manage Your Stressors and Provide Ideas for Your Employees 105 Encourage and Develop Support Systems 106 Find Ways to Support Others in their Stress 107 Provide Tips for Parents 108 Laugh Every Day 109 Share the Tortoise and the Hare (the Whole Story) 110 Try the Breathing Exercise

CHAPTER 9 HOW TO LEAD QUALITY PROCESS IMPROVEMENT 111 Try the Balanced Measurement System 112 Try the Coin Toss Exercise 113 Define the Process 114 Identify and Describe the Process (Phase 1) 115 Prepare a Flowchart 116 Assess and Manage (Phase 2) 117 Improve the Process (Phase 3) 118 Test and Implement (Phase 4)

CHAPTER 10 HOW TO LEAD WORKGROUPS THROUGH CHANGE 119 Understand that Change is Constant 120 Transition with the Change 121 Acknowledge Grieving is Needed and Help Others Move On 122 Own Your Reactions in the Neutral Zone 123 Initiate New Beginnings 124 Let Go of Old Things 125 Take Positive Action During a Difficult Transition

CHAPTER 11 HOW TO MANAGE YOUR TIME AND YOUR LIFE 126 Ask What You Would Do with an Extra Two Hours Per Day 127 Define Personal Goals Using SMART Criteria 128 Set Clear and Achievable Goals 129 Move from Goals to Accomplishments 130 Set Goals for the Next 6 Months Through an Action Plan 131 Use the Time Management Matrix 132 Take Control of Your Life with Time Management Techniques 133 Take Time for Your Priorities 134 Avoid Common Time-Wasters 135 Avoid Procrastination 136 Give Yourself and Team Members a Round Tuit 137 Make Good Decisions Together with Your Team 138 Follow These Decision-Making Steps 139 Expand Awareness of Impacts and Alternatives 140 Delegate, Delegate, Delegate! 141 Master the Keys to Effective Delegating 142 Use These Six Steps of the Delegating Process 143 Enjoy Benefits and Avoid Obstacles to Delegating 144 Share and Use the Delegator’s Checklist 145 Share and Use the Delegatee’s Checklist 146 Prepare a Plan for Delegation

CHAPTER 12 HOW TO MANAGE DIVERSITY 147 Define Diversity 148 Identify Your Diversity 149 Read This Powerful Commentary on Stereotypes 150 Explore the Impact of Stereotypes and Assumptions 151 Focus on Managing Across Generations 152 Understand Changing Demographics 153 Incorporate Different Generations’ Job Characteristics 154 Provide Messages that Motivate 155 Communicate Effectively with a Diverse Workforce 156 Achieve Business Results through Diversity 157 Get the Facts about Our Diverse World 158 Provide an Outlet to Prevent Harassment

CHAPTER 13 HOW TO BUILD ENGAGED WORKGROUPS AND TEAMS 159 Define Teamwork 160 Consider the Ideal Workgroup 161 Create a Positive Work Environment 162 Create and Foster Trust 163 Try this Trust Tool 164 Develop Leaders, Followers and Motivators 165 Develop Leaders from Good Followers 166 Find Out What Employees Want 167 Understand the Four Essentials of Workgroup Development 168 Get to Know Your Group with “What is Your Shape”? 169 Study Ways to Build a Strong Workgroup 170 Understand the Four Stages of Group Development 171 Bring a Team Together (Stage 1 - Form) 172 Facilitate Storms (Stage 2 - Storm) 173 Develop Team Norms (Stage 3 - Norm) 174 Operate at Peak Performance (Stage 4 – Perform) 175 Facilitate Differently for Each Stage 176 Understand What is Happening at Each Stage 177 Build an Effective Team with Trust and Consensus 178 Follow Courageously

CHAPTER 14 HOW TO MANAGE IN A CRISIS ENVIRONMENT 179 Define What is a Crisis 180 Maintain Your Composure at all Times 181 Know Your Anchors 182 Depend on Your Values to Set the Tone 183 Prioritize Resources and Critique Your Actions When Crisis is Over

CHAPTER 15 HOW TO ADDRESS SUCCESSION DEVELOPMENT 184 Plan for Someone to Take the Wheel 185 Develop Capable Subordinates 186 Develop Continuity and Backups for Every Employee

CHAPTER 16 HOW TO MULTIPLY YOUR EFFECTIVENESS 187 Decide What is Important and Spend Your Time There 188 Serve Others Over Self-Interest 189 Bring the Right Attitude and Confidence to Work Every Day 190 Align Everyone in the Same Direction 191 Implement Five Habits of Uncommon Managers 192 Hire Smart 193 Retain Your Best Employees 194 Apply These Rules from Kindergarten 195 Know Who the Decision-Maker Is 196 Make Sure You Define Problems Correctly 197 Remember and Respect the Seven Intelligences 198 Know Who is Responsible for What 199 Dress for Success 200 Lay Out Your Office with Your Employees in Mind 201 Volunteer and Give Back to the Community 202 Remember Where You Came From 203 Find Love, Joy, and Serenity in Every Passing Moment

Check out these links to my publications if you would like to learn more about collaboration, conflict resolution, or enhancing your servant manager skills.