Meir Ezra on rules for successful staff management

If you can successfully manage people, you get more done and do more good with a group than you can as an individual. You are paid well because you are valuable to your company or organization. In fact, the best-paying jobs in this world are given to managers because good managers are so rare.

Unfortunately, they do not teach people management skills in traditional schools. Even business schools do not teach you how to hire people, improve their performances, resolve their disagreements, boost their morale and so on. Until L. Ron Hubbard worked out the skills and techniques you need for managing people, you had to learn how to manage on your own.

1. Do not expect to improve your status or popularity with your staff members by giving them raises. You improve your status by doing your job and actively leading your group.

For example, one of your employees says, "Come on Boss, I really need that raise. I'll be loyal to you and make sure everyone likes you, if you give me the raise. Okay?" You say, "Sorry Jed. No raise. Maybe if you improve your productivity for a few months we can discuss it. Let's get to work on that project as we're already behind."

2. Do not pull people off their jobs. It makes them feel insecure. They get the idea you have partially fired them and so they quit.

For example, you decide to answer the phone whenever you hear it ring. Your receptionist only gets to answer the phone when you are busy. Soon, the other employees start to answer phone calls whenever you are busy. Your receptionist quits.

3. You can make people work very hard as long as they are doing the job they were hired to do.

For example, your computer system crashes and 5000 records need to be entered by your data-entry staff before they can do their normal data-entry work. Because they were hired to do data entry, you say, "I know this will be hard, but you people need to get these 5000 records entered by the end of the day, even if you need to work all night. And then by the end of tomorrow, you need to catch up your regular work, as well." The data-entry staff grumble a bit, but soon they are working harder than ever. They laugh about having pizza for dinner and make up a game to finish before 7 pm.