What Does Management Start With? Where Does it End Up With?

As we know, management is an art and not a science, and the best managers do not manage at all, for they make people better than themselves.  

I follow the 8-Path Wisdom in Management as follows, using how to ensure people hit their targets as a case study: 

Right Understanding	Do we have the right understanding on the reasons for people not hitting their targets?  Is it due to lack of skills, motivation or attitude?
Right Intent	Is hitting targets our intention?  Or making people perform at the highest level possible our intent?
Right Action	What is the Right Action to Take if Lack of Skills is the reason for people not performing at the right level?  Let's say it is weekly training, plus monthly new challenges.
Right Effort	What is the most positive action, every day, in both ourselves and our team?  How can we engage our people so that their  efforts becomes more effective?
Right Speech	How do we inform and engage our team in a way that moves them forward and builds bridges from past habits to a new model for sustainable business growth?  For example, is our conversation inspiring, or are their perspiring?
Right Livelihood	Is our team doing the right job that is the most suitable for them?  Is this their right livelihood?
Right Mindfulness	How do we remain calm, caring and mindful of our people's aspirations and goals?  Are they mindful of what they do daily, or are they just going through the motion?
Right Concentration	What is the best way to reach our aspirations so that we can all focus our hearts and minds each and everyday? Are we having the right concentration in our daily work?  Or are we distracted by the urgent but not important tasks, like handling e-mails?  Remember, the most important tasks may not be urgent, but if you don't do them, they'll become urgent and important tomorrow.

By Andy Ng, whose management courses on How to Be a Better Manager, How to Be an Effective Manager and Leadership with Sun Tzu Art of War have become best-sellers in both real-time and online. For details of our training programs, click here.