In the December 2008 edition of Vitality Magazine, Leonard Sandler, managerial consultant and president of Sandler Associates and author of Becoming an Extraordinary Manager: The 5 Essentials for Success (AMACOM, 2007), shared with Polly Turner his advice on how to become a truly exceptional manager and leader. Most employees are ordinary people; however, Sandler insists, “Some managers are able to perform miracles with these folks, others aren’t. The difference is usually not in the people but in the manager…It’s a myth that you have to be charismatic, or give great speeches. There’s absolutely no question that anybody can be an extraordinary manager.” To start honing your own managerial skills, Sandler suggests that you:

1. Treat employees like customers. Even before your first meeting with a new group of employees, research them like you’d research customers: Who are they? What are their traits? What’s important to them? The more interest you show in your employees, the better they’ll respond. If you’re a new manager, don’t come in the first day of work and brag about yourself and your expectations. Take an interest in your new team members, for example: “Sally, I heard you’re the one who implemented the Alpha Project.”

2. Learn what really motivates employees. Sandler explains that motivation isn’t something you do to employees; it’s about giving them what they need, not “one size fits all.” Everybody is different; for instance, one person may be eager to travel, while another may hate it. because it takes away precious family time. To learn everyone’s differences, ask!  “Don’t make unwarranted assumptions. The best assumption you can make about people is that they’re different from you,” Sandler says. Ask what challenges they’d like to take on, or what they’d like to do that they’re not doing now.

3. Make people feel valued. As a consultant, Sandler has checked company personnel records, only to find empty files on employees who’ve been doing great work for years. “I’ll ask, ‘Where are all the performance reviews, the letters of acknowledgement, the accolades, the thank-yous?’ Imagine how the employees feel knowing their files are empty and they’re taken for granted, like they’re part of the furniture.”

4. Make priorities visible. “It’s not unusual for employees not to know the goals of other employees or even the goals of their manager,” Sandler says. “As a result, they don’t know where they stand at any given moment.” No wonder employees are all too often shocked by their performance reviews! It’s crucial for managers to clearly state to their employees what their priorities and standards are.

5. Document performance. Get in the habit of documenting criticism and praise, no matter how busy you are. You’ll be glad you did. Sandler says, “If you meet the needs of your organization and also meet the needs of your people, then you’re a manager who’s doing an extraordinary job.”