Management Problems
Management Problems
There are many management problems. The three major reasons for management problems are:
- Other people.
- Poor systems.
- Mother nature.
1. Other people.
There are management problems because human beings are complicated and are sometimes difficult to manage. Human beings can be difficult; they don't always follow the plan, or they sometimes say things they should not say. Or they forget to do important things. All humans are fallible and some are malicious.
So many management problems are centred on how to handle difficult people.
People management is an important skill.
2. Poor systems.
The second reason there are management problems because human systems are imperfect and they sometimes break down. Internet systems, traffic systems, political systems, banking systems: Systems sometimes fail, and the resulting chaos needs to be managed carefully.
Setting up good systems is an important skill.
3. Mother nature (Natural disasters).
The third reason there are management problems is because mother nature too, can sometimes be malicious: Mother Nature is not always benevolent: she can send storms, floods, disease and disaster. All of which need to be properly managed.
Predicting and preparing for such problems is an important skill.
Developing Management Skills
In order to manage other people, systems and nature, we need to develop our management skills.
We can do that by consciously developing the P List of activities.
The P list activities are the following list of skills, (all of which start with the letter P.)
- People skills.
- Purposefulness.
- Planning.
- Prevention.
- Prediction.
- Prioritisation.
- Personal initiative.
- Psychology.
Let us say a few lines on each of the P List activities.
People skills.
People skills is the art of managing people: It means developing communication skills and handling conflict skills.
People skills are an integral part of management skills because mostly, management means managing people.
Purposefulness.
Purposefulness is the art of keeping your mind on the goal. In whatever situation you find yourself you must always know what is your goal. Lack of goal focus will cause indecision and disjointed action.
Purposefulness will lead to decisiveness and coordinated action.
Planning.
Planning is the art of making ready before an event. Many managers don't plan ahead sufficiently and that makes them crisis managers.
Prevention.
Prevention is allied to planning. Prevention is the act of solving a problem before it occurs. Better to prevent a problem than solve a problem. It is better NOT to hit the iceberg in the first place.
Prediction.
Prediction is allied to planning and prevention. Prediction is the creative use of all the available information. Try to predict possible problems and take steps to prevent them from happening by proper planning.
Prioritisation.
Prioritisation is the art of doing things in the right order. The right order means two things: by order of importance and by order of logical sequence.
Prioritisation is NOT done by doing the easy things first.
Prioritisation is NOT done by doing the difficult or unpleasant things last.
Prioritisation is doing things in the right order.
Personal initiative.
Personal initiative is acting on your own volition. All good managers are self-motivated. Good managers don't need to be managed by others, because they manage themselves effectively.
Good managers are full of self-confidence, self-motivation, self-control and self-discipline. These facets are born out of an inner-power to act on your own volition.
That is personal initiative.
Psychology.
Managers need to understand people. And so they need to understand psychology. They need to understand something about why people do what they do.
What motivates people? What demotivates people? How can you manage peoples mind and emotions?
All managers should learn the basics of 'success psychology'.
Management Training
If you would like to learn more about these P list management skills, please check out our two-day Leadership and Management Course.
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Definition: management skills
Management skills are the set of work abilities that let a leader guide people, build sound systems, foresee and head off trouble, and order tasks by need. When these four points come together, the manager moves the group toward its goal with less waste, risk and delay.
Show CG4D Definition
- Uses clear talk to lead and motivate people toward the goal
- Designs and keeps good systems that support daily work
- Plans ahead to see, prevent and limit problems and risk
- Sets task order by importance and time so resources match purpose
Article Summary
Most management problems come from people, weak systems and harsh nature, yet strong leaders beat them by sharpening eight P skills: people skills, clear purpose, planning, prevention, prediction, proper order, personal drive and mind insight.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are some questions that frequently get asked about this topic during our training sessions.
What are the three main causes of management problems?
How do difficult people create challenges for managers?
Why do poor systems lead to workplace chaos?
How can managers prepare for issues caused by Mother Nature?
What is the P List of essential management skills?
How does planning and prevention cut down crises?
Why is personal initiative vital for a manager?
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Did You Know: Key Statistics
Gallup’s State of the Global Workplace 2023 finds that only 23% of staff feel engaged at work and that poor management explains 70% of the gap. The UK Government Cyber Security Breaches Survey 2024 reports that 50% of medium sized firms had a cyber attack that stopped their systems in the last year.About the Author: Chris Farmer
Chris Farmer is the founder of the Corporate Coach Group and has many years' experience in training leaders and managers, in both the public and private sectors, to achieve their organisational goals, especially during tough economic times. He is also well aware of the disciplines and problems associated with running a business.
Over the years, Chris has designed and delivered thousands of training programmes and has coached and motivated many management teams, groups and individuals. His training programmes are both structured and clear, designed to help delegates organise their thinking and, wherever necessary, to improve their techniques and skills.
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