Put timeless management practices to work.

The most important relationship is between a manager and a direct report. Studies confirm that the majority of people leave their jobs because they dislike their manager and the way they are supervised. After all, managers directly influence staff engagement and retention, along with the many performance factors in between. So what is a manager to do?

7 Paths to Managerial Leadership presents seven simple paths to an effective relationship between managers and staff. Each path offers management wisdom that focuses on action, not position, and inspires others to do their best work. Expressly written for middle managers, this step-by-step guide covers principles evaluated and fine-tuned over the course of several decades.

Seasoned manager and management consultant Fred Mackenzie offers readers pithy self-assessments, a manager's checklist, and action plans for developing each path, regardless of which you choose to employ in your work. Use this guide to identify your leadership style, along with its benefits and shortcomings, and learn how to build on your strengths to inspire those you lead to have confidence in themselves.

Be sure to read this one with a pencil in hand!

Introduction....................................................................vii

1. Managers and Their Direct Reports: A Dynamic Relationship...............................................1

Middle Management Styles...............................................2

Developing Effective Relationships.....................................5

Checklist for an Effective Middle Manager–Direct Report Relationship.....................................................6

2. Why 7 Paths?..............................................................9

Organizational Structure..................................................9

Human Forces Filter.......................................................10

3. Path 1: Managerial Planning and Task Assignment...........15

Managerial Planning......................................................15

Manager's Checklist.......................................................18

Action Plan..................................................................18

Task Assignment...........................................................19

Action Plan..................................................................23

What Is Situational Courage?...........................................24

Action Plan..................................................................27

4. Path 2: Managerial Meetings........................................29

Content and Process of Meetings.......................................31

Managerial Meetings Checklist.........................................38

Action Plan..................................................................38

5. Path 3: Context Setting.................................................41

Paying Attention to the Bigger Picture.................................42

Context-Setting Checklist...............................................46

Action Plan.................................................................46

6. Path 4: Feedback........................................................49

Giving Positive and Constructive Feedback..........................50

Feedback Reminders.......................................................52

Negative or Constructive? Understanding the Difference........55

Giving Feedback Checklist...............................................56

Action Plan..................................................................56

7. Path 5: Performance Appraisal.....................................59

Informal and Formal Appraisals.......................................60

Checklist for Performance Appraisal..................................61

Action Plan..................................................................63

8. Path 6: Coaching Direct Reports....................................65

Coaching Growth Within the Role.....................................66

A 5-Step Process for Managerial Coaching...........................69

Putting the 5 Steps Into Action..........................................71

Checklist for Managerial Coaching....................................77

Action Plan..................................................................77

9. Path 7: Continual Improvement...................................79

Improving Processes, Systems, and Procedures.....................80

Example of a Continual Improvement Meeting....................83

CI Checklist.................................................................85

Action Plan..................................................................86

Afterword....................................................................87

Appendix A: Establishing Key Accountabilities....................91

Appendix B: Employee Document Comparisons..................103

Appendix C: Sample Closure Verbs.....................................105

Appendix D: Assignment Examples..................................107

Appendix E: Making Strategy Work—The Linkage Process..109

Appendix F: Using the Practices Calendar...........................115

Glossary..........................................................................117

References.......................................................................123

About the Author.............................................................125