EntranceMaxim “Combat” Batyrev: “Always remember that the pack copies the leader. Blog about project management A unified conceptual framework improves manageability
Maxim Batyrev “45 manager tattoos” February 27th, 2015
I never write a review of a book immediately after reading it (the exception being definitely bad books). What is important to me is not only the immediate effect of the information received, but also the aftertaste, and it takes time to feel it. In a few days or weeks, everything fits into the right shelves, I form a final impression of what I read, a complete picture of the text, and I can evaluate it.
Maxim Batyrev’s book “45 tattoos of a manager. Rules of a Russian leader” is a rare case when I cannot give an unambiguous assessment.
In short, this is a person’s experience, expressed in 45 rules, which the author calls tattoos, because they forever decorated his body, hardened in managerial battles (even on the cover of the book the author calls himself nothing more than« Maxim "Combat" Batyrev»)
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The author came to work in the sales department of a company with a slightly strange name for me, “What to do Consult,” which sells desktop help systems, and worked there for many years, rising from salesman to top manager.
These are the "tattoos":
1. First learn to play by the rules, then come up with your own
2. Read, comprehend. Train your core muscle
3. Abandoning bad strategies is a show of strength.
4. What is obvious to you is not obvious to others.
5. Look for the strong, the weak will stick themselves
6. Everyone can be forgiven for making a mistake (under certain circumstances)
7. Don't do the work for your subordinates
8. Don't negotiate with terrorists
9. Clients are our everything
10. And even in a tavern you are a manager!
11. Don't work with mentally disabled people
12. Call a spade a spade
13. Practice what you preach.
14. The pack copies the leader
15. Good should be rewarded and evil punished. Always.
16. Teach - treat - wet
17. You need to develop your strengths, not your weaknesses.
18. The strong respect only strength
19. Only like-minded people strengthen a team
20. Don't discuss decisions made with subordinates
21. Recognizing the specificity of death is similar
22. Praise people
23. Don't count on people's gratitude
24. A team is created only by common efforts.
25. A manager should be extreme
26. Time is more important than perfection
27. Protect the interests of your manager
28. People will do things when it is easier to do than not to do.
29. Growing people is your main goal.
30. Any idea you have can be questioned.
31. Fuck analytics during a crisis
32. There is no justice
33. First we fight the consequences, then the causes.
34. Everyone is responsible for themselves
35. Coaching in business is evil
36. Be consistent: they will start pushing you out
37. Don't trust people of dreams, trust people of purpose
38. Any ambiguity is interpreted for the worse for you
39. Any words you say can become a task
40. A unified conceptual apparatus improves controllability
41. Discipline is the mother of victory
42. Exchange the weak for the strong
43. Do more than necessary
44. Don't be afraid when you're alone. Be afraid when you're zero
45. Always remember: one day you will be fired
The general mood of the book and the way the author positions himself is well illustrated by this passage from Jerome K. Jerome:
Harris said that it had always been a mystery to him personally how people managed to get seasick, that it was all a complete pretense, that he had often wanted to get sick too, but had never succeeded.
Then he began to tell us stories about how he crossed the English Channel in such a storm that the passengers had to be tied to their bunks, and only two people on board - himself and the captain of the ship - resisted seasickness. Sometimes the ones who resisted seasickness were himself and the second mate, but invariably it was himself and someone else. If it wasn’t himself plus someone else, then it was him alone.
Maxim describes his work experience in approximately the same way - he always remained on the horse and in charge, and all his failures are described in such a way that you understand: even in failure, he did well, made the right conclusions and grew as a manager.
Another interesting point: for the author, the concept of “manager” is not so much a “manager” as a “leader” or even a “leader”. Hence the description of subordinates as “packs”, the craving for harsh methods of influencing them and the habits of the alpha male that appear from time to time. Even the tough one looks softer compared to Maxim.
Maxim is absolutely confident in the truth of his experience and avoids halftones: coaching is evil, discipline is the basis of success, diversity is not for us, etc.
At the same time, the author preaches, if not good, then certainly reasonable and eternal: a manager cannot limit himself to the stick, he also needs carrots, reading books - prerequisite development of any employee, working together brings the team together much better than drinking, the task of the manager is to help employees grow, including in terms of their careers.
So, on the one hand, we have before us a book by a domestic hired manager, written for domestic (?) hired managers, which is rare. Despite the fact that the author's experience is experience of vertical growth in sales, it is interesting and useful. I am sure that in many ways the author’s story is close and understandable to the average hired manager. Personally, I found several cases in the book, absolutely identical cases from my personal practice. What's there, .))
On the other hand, the author’s approach to management is strongly tied to the specifics of the company and his role in it, to the lack of experience in other teams and other areas of activity. Perhaps the author would not have been so categorical in his statements if he had worked somewhere else.
To summarize: The book is very controversial, but I nevertheless recommend reading it to all managers. Some will get a successful managerial job for themselves role model, which others can follow - a clear example of what kind of manager you don’t need to be.
P.S. I don’t know Maxim personally, but I get the impression that he is a man of his word (this is important, because it confirms the postulates of the book). He promises to send everyone a list of books and films that he considers useful for the development of a manager. I asked him about this - and he sent it within 24 hours after the request.
Are you interested?)
But almost every employee caught goes and mutters something under his breath.
I heard them muttering. They muttered: “Look at you, %#dy!”
Because these two high-profile managers usually arrived at work two, or even three or four hours after the start of the working day.
They had no right to teach their subordinates to be on time. They couldn’t, because people themselves know and understand everything perfectly well and are late precisely because of this.
You can't force employees to shave if you have a beard.
You cannot force an employee to comply with a dress code if you wear jeans yourself.
You cannot force an employee to arrive on time if you yourself are late for work.
“The bosses are not late, the bosses are late,” resourceful and cheerful managers will tell me. Brothers, you will later tell this to your clients who called fifteen minutes after the start of your working day, but none of your Warriors of Light picked up the phone. And first of all, you yourself will be to blame.
I know any number of excuses managers make about this.
“When I was a line employee, I was always on time.”
“I do my eight hours, I just work from 12 to 20 without a lunch break.”
“I don’t work directly with clients, which means I don’t have to shave, and I don’t have to wear a suit.”
“I’ve read so much, and in general, my intuition is good, so I don’t need to read now...”
You can complain as much as you like that your people are not like you, lament the fact that “there are few truly violent ones, and so there are no leaders.” But don’t forget that you are always evaluated because you are a public person.
After you put on the manager's shoulder straps, Big Brother began to follow you. He sees everything. All your failures, misdeeds, misfires, mistakes, weaknesses are now displayed on a large central monitor, in front of which your employees sit and evaluate you.
“My director says that I need to brush my teeth, but he himself, he himself...”
“My boss claims that he stopped drinking, which means that drinking beer under the covers at home is also forbidden, but he...”
“My manager advocates for everyone to sing the anthem of office worker Semyon Slepakov, and he hides in his office when they start performing it”...
And after each ellipsis you can add: SO IT IS CAN FOR ME!
But in reality - all this Means that my boss doesn’t watch his words, he has low authority, it’s better not to deal with him, and all the other accompanying pieces of dirt that will instantly stick to you.
And if my boss is a standard of discipline, smartness, masculinity (femininity) and a model of behavior, Means, he can demand from me too, Means, he is an example for me, Means, everything is fair, “according to concepts,” as we like to say.
And most importantly, it is better not to demand from employees what you yourself do not do. The big bosses call this "selective control."
Selective control is possible when you yourself practice what you preach, but in no case when you remember once a quarter that everyone must come to work on time, and begin to frantically check the performance discipline of employees. This is funny. And the maximum you can achieve with such actions is to ruin your reputation.
Tattoo "DO WHAT YOU PREACH" You need to apply it to the bridge of your nose so that you can see it every time you look in the mirror. Just don’t forget to leave room there for one more principle, very similar, but still somewhat different...
14. The pack copies the leader
- I understand what your problem is. You are too serious.
A serious face is not yet a sign of intelligence, gentlemen.
All the stupid things on earth are done with this expression. Smile, gentlemen. Smile!
"The Same Munchausen"
Honestly, I have not yet seen a single cheerful or dashing unit that had a stern leader. And vice versa, I have not seen a single difficult unit in which there was a leader who was open to everything new, a bright and cheerful person.
“The pack copies the leader,” said one of my close colleagues about six years ago. I began to observe, and indeed, it turned out to be so.
In my large department, I often move employees from department to department. You never know, you need to give a person a chance, for example. Or - let him try to work with another leader. And I almost always know when transferring an employee whether the new manager will be able to reveal it or not. Because it happens with the same managers all the time, and the same people also die.
“45 Tattoos of a Manager” by Maxim Batyrev is one of the most useful books I have read recently. My enthusiastic review of the video:
You can buy the book “45 Manager Tattoos” on Ozone:
Description of the book “45 Tattoos” from the publisher
A tattoo is an inscription for life. Important notice. The titles of the chapters in this book are tattoos that remain in the memory and heart of the manager, his everyday and organizational experience. These are rules about how to treat colleagues, how to act in certain situations: a set of principles that you should follow if you want to succeed. Why? Because behind each chapter there are meaningful actions, someone’s pain, torment, joy, successful and unsuccessful experiences, ups and downs, dismissals and leadership, and most importantly, the desired result.
Book chips
Author's tattoo rules are written not just on different parts body: on the forehead, on the shoulders, on the back. They were imprinted on his managerial heart. Sincerely and honestly. Every letter.
Who is this book for?
For those who love and want to succeed.
Why we decided to publish this book
Domestic managerial practice deserves just such a book. The author’s experience is so close to most managers, and the situations described are so recognizable that they can be instantly understood and felt. Accept or dispute.
Reviews of the book “45 Manager Tattoos”
Fill the vacuum and train your core muscle This book has probably the best structure of all the management books I have read so far. 45 rule tattoos received in chronological order one smart manager from “ours”. No fluff, just cases, everything is clear, accessible and much applicable. It’s unlikely that all 45 will suit everyone, otherwise there’s something wrong with you or you’re not a manager (there must be your own), but some will be a revelation, some will simply suit you, and some you’ve already received yourself before reading this book. Of course, someone may strongly disagree with these tattoos, especially among fans of “turquoise” organizations. Batyrev is directive and authoritarian, but at the same time he values his people and team. In large businesses it is very useful, in small businesses less so. It’s convenient to read everywhere, because on average 3 tattoos are 20 pages. From this book you can easily create your own rules for a manager and supplement them as you get new “tattoos”; it will be a very good basic one. I definitely recommend it to all managers, HR people, and even subordinates (because of the tattoo “what is obvious to you is not obvious to others”), from any field (maybe except for IT, where such managers are not very favored).
You should try to create your own rules!
The book is a real hit. In Russia there has never been such a necessary and relevant book for managers written by a Russian manager. In this book you will find absolute positivity and direct guidance to action.
This is a book for everyone who doubted that in Moscow it was possible to achieve success without connections, without a prestigious education, without lies, sycophancy and tricking colleagues.
At every step all I hear is where am I going and who needs me. Of course, who needs whiners? Employers with cool projects need people like Maxim. Most people don't believe in themselves. They don't want to work on themselves. Almost everyone dreams of success falling from the sky. Do you want to become a top manager? Work. Work from a low position, 10-14 hours a day. Read voraciously. Hang out with strong people. And learn every day.
Maxim’s book covers all the main mistakes of a novice manager. I wish the book had fallen into my hands three years ago. But on the other hand, it’s useful to fill some bumps yourself.
After such a book - sincere, with concrete examples– I immediately want to meet and make friends with the author. Take an example from him. I re-read the book in individual chapters as soon as I notice that I am lowering the bar. Helps.
Summary of the book “45 tattoos of a manager” by Batyrev.
1. First learn to play by the rules, then come up with your own
IN lately There is a popular opinion: to be successful, you don’t need to study, follow any rules, or delve into the laws by which business is done. This opinion is wrong! Before creating your own rules, you need to study those that already exist and learn to play by them.
Some people who have achieved phenomenal success actually do not have a document higher education. But there are only a few such people and they are the exception rather than the rule.
If there is no document on education, this does not mean that the person did not study. For any development you need a foundation.
2. Read, comprehend. Train your core muscle
The brain is the same muscle. For it to work well, it must be trained. Reading is a great workout.
If the brain is not trained or destructive stimuli are used (low-quality literature, some television programs), then it begins to degrade. It is important not only to read, but also to comprehend and delve into what you read.
3. Abandoning bad strategies is a show of strength.
Some people believe that abandoning a chosen strategy is a sign of weakness. But that's not true. People who, with all their might, cling to a once-chosen strategy, even knowing that nothing good will come of it, are a pitiful sight.
It is important to find the courage to abandon the wrong strategy and direct your strength and energy in the right direction. It's a choice strong people, and not those who work “for the public” and pretend to be victims.
4. What is obvious to you is not obvious to others.
This truth is true not only when a manager communicates with his subordinates, but also in other areas of life, for example, in communication with clients. Each person has his own store of knowledge, his own personal experience.
What seems obvious to one, another may not know. However, he is not always ready to show this by asking explanatory questions. Therefore for efficient work It's worth taking the time to make sure that understanding is achieved even on issues that seem elementary to you.
5. Look for the strong, the weak will stick themselves
The weak are like “vampire complainers”. There is no need to look for them, they find themselves and strive to “infect” everyone with their mood. We need to look for the strong. But in order to communicate with the powerful, you need to interest them. They should want to communicate with you. You need to look up to the strong and take example from them.
6. Everyone can be forgiven for making a mistake (under certain circumstances)
Anyone can make a mistake. Anyone can be forgiven if they are willing to put in the effort to correct a mistake, restore their reputation, and not repeat that mistake in the future.
Those who have realized their guilt need to be forgiven.
7. Don't do work for subordinates
An experienced department manager sees the mistakes of his subordinates and understands what they are doing wrong. He is often tempted to do the work for them.
This is a mistake. Employees must do their own work, otherwise they stop putting in the effort and developing their skills. And if the manager gets sick or goes on vacation, then work will stop altogether.
8. Don't negotiate with terrorists
Terrorists are people who use threats to achieve their goals. As a rule, these are employees who do work that is quite important for the company. At some point, they realize that the organization cannot function without them, and they begin to take advantage of this.
Once you give in to these people, it will never end. In addition, such employees are unreliable because they can fail at the most crucial moment. There is no point in negotiating with such people; you need to get rid of them immediately.
9. Clients are our everything
This is a fairly well-known truth - the basis of any business. For the sake of the client, it is worth changing your schedule, your plans, sacrificing time and effort. Even a simple courier is a representative of the client and therefore deserves respect.
10. And even in a tavern you are a manager!
A manager must organize not only work, but also leisure time for his employees. Even in the tavern they look at him as a manager, so he must control himself.
His task is to collect money from employees to pay for the event and send each employee home after the corporate party. In general, a manager is a manager always and everywhere when his employees are nearby.
11. Don't work with mentally disabled people
To achieve success, a person must believe in himself and strive for something. If he consciously does not want to change anything in his life, you will not help him in any way, you will only waste your time and energy.
Trying to force a person to grow against his will is impossible. Do not work with morally disabled people.
12. Call a spade a spade
You need to talk about problems directly - not by delicately hinting, but by calling things by their proper names. A person may be offended, but such straightforwardness makes it clear what is good and what is bad.
13. Practice what you preach.
To demand compliance with certain rules from others, you need to comply with them yourself. A manager is a public figure, so if he doesn't practice what he preaches, it will definitely be noticed.
Order begins with the leader. If he doesn’t come to work on time, then his subordinates most likely won’t either.
14. The pack copies the leader
“Indirect education” is much stronger and more serious than direct control. The rules and values that are important to the manager become close to his subordinates - they begin to resemble their leader.
If a manager wants to see himself from the outside, he just needs to look at those around him. His mood and attitude towards work directly affects the productivity and mood of the team. Therefore, you must always work with a smile and enthusiasm.
15. Good should be rewarded and evil punished. Always
This principle should always work. There should be no exceptions, no forgiveness, no individual approach to any special departments or employees. Only in such a situation the rules are clear, otherwise employees understand that this is not necessary, because there are exceptions.
16. Teach - treat - wet
Three stages in the relationship between manager and employee.
To teach is to explain to a person what tasks he faces and by what rules he should play. If the employee still cannot cope with his tasks, move on to the next stage.
Treat - figure out why the task was not completed and try to resolve the situation. If a task is not completed the first time, we can consider it an accident; if the second time, it’s a coincidence; and the third time, it’s a deliberate act. After this, proceed to the third stage.
Damn - apply sanctions: reprimand, deprive of bonuses and, possibly, even fire the employee.
17. You need to develop your strengths, not your weaknesses.
Every person has strengths and weaknesses. Some people try their best to develop their weaknesses. In the author's opinion, this is the wrong approach - you need to develop your strengths.
Well, what to do with weaknesses? You need to try “not to get into situations where you can expose your shortcomings.” But if there is an opportunity to improve in any area, it should be used.
18. The strong respect only strength
There are people with whom you need to speak only in the language of strength. Strength is not fists, but a style of communication. Some people cannot be reached with logic and arguments; they only understand the language of force.
19. Only like-minded people strengthen a team
There is an opinion that a good team should have people with different points vision, because diversity makes a team strong.
The author does not agree with this. When working with people who have a different opinion, you have to spend a lot of effort trying to convince them. But with like-minded people you can do great things, directing all your energy to the benefit of the project.
20. Do not discuss decisions made with subordinates
At the meeting, the boss asked the employees to discuss an issue on which he had already made a decision. When the employees found another solution, the boss did not agree with them.
In the end, the employees had to agree with the boss, just so that this meeting would finally end. To avoid such situations, you should not discuss a decision that has already been made. An unmotivated refusal in this case will have a bad impact on your reputation.
21. Recognizing the specificity of death is similar
Often companies have a division that is considered “special” or “elite” and has less stringent requirements for it. As a result, employees of such a department relax and do not strive for high results.
22. Praise people
Praise is a motivation and frame of reference for employees, helping them understand what is considered right and what is not. Praise employees for doing the right thing, even if the result is not achieved, and they will not be afraid to act.
23. Don't count on people's gratitude
The author advises to adhere to the principle of “do good and throw it into the water,” because very often people turn out to be ungrateful. You need to be prepared for this and help, first of all, your loved ones, who will be truly grateful and understand in case of refusal.
You shouldn't expect gratitude from strangers. Once you have done good, step aside. Anyone who wants to thank will do so without reminders.
24. Protect the interests of your manager
This is not easy and is not typical of our mentality. But if subordinates begin to argue and disobey, the manager has to waste time and energy on persuasion and arguing, which is ineffective.
Even if you disagree with your manager, try to understand him. He definitely has reasons and arguments for the decisions he makes. Try to listen to him, understand and support him.
25. A team is created only by common action.
A common cause can unite a team much better than team building. A common goal unites the team, and there is a willingness to help each other.
26. A manager should be extreme
To be extreme means to take responsibility, make decisions and be responsible for them. This is exactly what a manager should be prepared for.
Constantly forwarding tasks to someone else is ineffective. A manager must be able to resolve issues himself. If the manager is only engaged in forwarding questions, then he is an extra link in the system. The ability to be extreme, to work as if there is no one behind you, distinguishes a good manager from a bad one.
27. Time is more important than perfection
Often before launching a project, people check, study, and analyze something for a long time. Because of this, the launch is delayed for a long time.
Even if not all points are taken into account, it is much more important to be the first to declare yourself. In business, as a rule, the winner is not the one who thought through and calculated everything, but the one who took the risk and did it first.
28. People will do things when it is easier to do than not to do.
You can many times call on people to take some action, persuade them. But it is more effective to create conditions in which it will be easier to do the desired action than NOT to do it.
To perform their job duties, people must have not only necessary resources, but also a “stick” that ensures the work gets done.
29. Grow people - this is your main goal
Bad managers are so afraid of losing their jobs that they are willing to work with weak employees. Good leaders develop and grow their subordinates, because people are their main capital.
The value of a leader is measured by the number of employees he has “grown.” Perhaps one of them will eventually take his place, but good manager does not hold on to his position. Thanks to the fact that there is a replacement, he can grow on his own.
30. Any idea you have can be questioned.
Even an idea that seems perfect to you may be questioned by your colleagues. You need to be prepared for such a turn in order to confirm your position with arguments.
Expect pointed questions and doubts. Your ideas will always be resisted, because everyone is afraid of change.
31. Fuck analytics during a crisis
Analytics is a look into the past. If a company or division finds itself in a critical situation, there is no time for the past. Don't look back, but take a step forward.
32. There is no justice
There are people who see injustice everywhere. However, the justice they talk about is manipulation. In fact, they care about personal interests.
There is no social justice in a commercial organization, because those who work more, bring more profit, and make more significant decisions receive more. And the fighters for justice are the “Reds” from 1917.
33. First we fight the consequences, then the causes.
Many people struggle with causes, not effects: they study the causes, develop special programs to combat them. In fact, you first need to deal with what has already happened. And then understand the reason and prevent recurrence.
34. Everyone is responsible for themselves
Fazil Iskander wrote: “True responsibility can only be personal. The man blushes alone.” Everyone is responsible for themselves! He builds his own life, sets goals for himself and chooses what they will be.
Responsibility is not a “burden”, not a “willingness to take on other people’s obligations.” Responsibility = action!
The manager’s task is to create conditions for the work of his subordinates, and the task of the subordinates is to carry out the manager’s task. At the same time, the manager is not responsible for his subordinates.
Most employees are always dissatisfied with something. The coach focuses on problems and dissatisfaction. And to solve a problem, an employee is often asked to change his field of activity, and the company loses a valuable specialist.
36. Be consistent: they will start pushing you out
Any rules, regulations and instructions, even those discussed with employees, will be constantly tested for strength. Employees will try to get around them, find weaknesses, and try not to comply with them.
It is important to be consistent and not break the rules. Strictly adhere to the chosen strategy, or you will be broken, and everything will remain the same as it was before.
37. Don't trust people of dreams, trust people of purpose
Dream people are those who have a dream. They do not take any action to implement it, but only lament that they are not succeeding, and rarely connect their activities with their dreams.
Goal people know for sure that current activities are gradually bringing them closer to the goal. Goal people always know what they want and what they will do for it. They do not need to be controlled or motivated.
38. Any ambiguity is interpreted for the worse for you
Any vacuum is filled with negativity. If employees do not receive enough information, they begin to assume the worst: “others are paid more”, “everything is bad”, “we will all be fired soon”...
To avoid ambiguity, keep employees up to date. You can place boxes for anonymous letters around the office so that anyone can ask a question directly to the head of the company.
39. Any words you say can become a task
An employee can perceive even a request or call thrown in passing as a task and make a lot of effort to complete it. If no one noticed his work, this can be a real demotivation. To avoid getting into an uncomfortable situation, remember that any words you say can become a motivation for action.
40. A unified conceptual apparatus improves controllability
The more people have in common, the better they understand each other. A “single conceptual apparatus” increases team control.
To create such a device, create a common list of films and books for all employees. Having mastered it, people will speak the same language, use the same symbols, idioms and catchphrases.
41. Discipline is the mother of victory
The author claims that some methods of foreign motivation (free schedule, breaks at work, a loyal attitude towards lateness) do not work in Russia. Being late is a “litmus test of attitude towards the current job.” A person who cannot organize himself will have the same attitude towards any task assigned to him.
You need to demand discipline not only from your subordinates, but also from yourself. Discipline - most important factor the existence of an enterprise in a competitive market.
42. Exchange the weak for the strong
Looking at weak employees who do not fulfill the plan, work without diligence and energy, but remain in their positions and do not face any sanctions, the strong begin to think that no one needs their “strength”. Instead of dealing with the strong, managers waste time with the weak, finding reasons to leave them. And the weak perform worse every month, which is why the company’s results worsen. For high results, you need to focus on the “strong”.
43. Do more than necessary
Any diligent employee sooner or later achieves results that are maximum for his position. Then he either stops and is content with what has been achieved, or begins to do more than is expected of him.
By doing more than expected, a person creates an advantage over others. As a rule, such people become managers.
44. Don't be afraid when you're alone. Be afraid when you're zero
There is no need to be afraid to act, fight or lose. Employees want to work with a strong manager, but they cannot change him. Only he himself is capable of performing feats, solving problems, rewarding good and punishing evil, raising other managers... being strong! To be loved, you need to be a hero.
45. Always remember: one day you will be fired
The thought “today I could be fired” motivates and spurs me on, forces me to get into a working mood. Our time is limited and we need to get everything done.
Today is not a rehearsal for real life, this is life. Therefore, you need to love your job, value life and set your priorities correctly.
Recently, there has been a popular opinion: to be successful, you don’t need to study, follow any rules, or delve into the laws by which business is done. This opinion is wrong! Before creating your own rules, you need to study those that already exist and learn to play by them.
Some people who have achieved phenomenal success actually do not have a higher education document. But there are only a few such people and they are the exception rather than the rule.
If there is no document on education, this does not mean that the person did not study. For any development you need a foundation.
2. Read, comprehend. Train your core muscle
The brain is the same muscle. For it to work well, it must be trained. Reading is a great workout.
If the brain is not trained or destructive stimuli are used (low-quality literature, some television programs), then it begins to degrade. It is important not only to read, but also to comprehend and delve into what you read.
3. Abandoning bad strategies is a show of strength.
Some people believe that abandoning a chosen strategy is a sign of weakness. But that's not true. People who, with all their might, cling to a once-chosen strategy, even knowing that nothing good will come of it, are a pitiful sight.
It is important to find the courage to abandon the wrong strategy and direct your strength and energy in the right direction. This is the choice of strong people, not those who work “for the public” and pretend to be victims.
4. What is obvious to you is not obvious to others.
This truth is true not only when a manager communicates with his subordinates, but also in other areas of life, for example, in communication with clients. Each person has his own store of knowledge, his own personal experience.
What seems obvious to one, another may not know. However, he is not always ready to show this by asking explanatory questions. Therefore, to work effectively, it is worth spending time and making sure that understanding is achieved even on those issues that seem elementary to you.
5. Look for the strong, the weak will stick themselves
The weak are like “vampire complainers”. There is no need to look for them, they find themselves and strive to “infect” everyone with their mood. We need to look for the strong. But in order to communicate with the powerful, you need to interest them. They should want to communicate with you. You need to look up to the strong and take example from them.
6. Everyone can be forgiven for making a mistake (under certain circumstances)
Anyone can make a mistake. Anyone can be forgiven if they are willing to put in the effort to correct a mistake, restore their reputation, and not repeat that mistake in the future.
Those who have realized their guilt need to be forgiven.
7. Don't do work for subordinates
An experienced department manager sees the mistakes of his subordinates and understands what they are doing wrong. He is often tempted to do the work for them.
This is a mistake. Employees must do their own work, otherwise they stop putting in the effort and developing their skills. And if the manager gets sick or goes on vacation, then work will stop altogether.
8. Don't negotiate with terrorists
Terrorists are people who use threats to achieve their goals. As a rule, these are employees who do work that is quite important for the company. At some point, they realize that the organization cannot function without them, and they begin to take advantage of this.
Once you give in to these people, it will never end. In addition, such employees are unreliable because they can fail at the most crucial moment. There is no point in negotiating with such people; you need to get rid of them immediately.
9. Clients are our everything
This is a fairly well-known truth - the basis of any business. For the sake of the client, it is worth changing your schedule, your plans, sacrificing time and effort. Even a simple courier is a representative of the client and therefore deserves respect.
10. And even in a tavern you are a manager!
A manager must organize not only work, but also leisure time for his employees. Even in the tavern they look at him as a manager, so he must control himself.
His task is to collect money from employees to pay for the event and send each employee home after the corporate party. In general, a manager is a manager always and everywhere when his employees are nearby.
11. Don't work with mentally disabled people
To achieve success, a person must believe in himself and strive for something. If he consciously does not want to change anything in his life, you will not help him in any way, you will only waste your time and energy.
Trying to force a person to grow against his will is impossible. Do not work with morally disabled people.
12. Call a spade a spade
You need to talk about problems directly - not by delicately hinting, but by calling things by their proper names. A person may be offended, but such straightforwardness makes it clear what is good and what is bad.
13. Practice what you preach.
To demand compliance with certain rules from others, you need to comply with them yourself. A manager is a public figure, so if he doesn't practice what he preaches, it will definitely be noticed.
Order begins with the leader. If he doesn’t come to work on time, then his subordinates most likely won’t either.
14. The pack copies the leader
“Indirect education” is much stronger and more serious than direct control. The rules and values that are important to the manager become close to his subordinates - they begin to resemble their leader.
If a manager wants to see himself from the outside, he just needs to look at those around him. His mood and attitude towards work directly affects the productivity and mood of the team. Therefore, you must always work with a smile and enthusiasm.
15. Good should be rewarded and evil punished. Always
This principle should always work. There should be no exceptions, no forgiveness, no individual approach to any special departments or employees. Only in such a situation the rules are clear, otherwise employees understand that this is not necessary, because there are exceptions.
16. Teach - treat - wet
Three stages in the relationship between manager and employee.
- Learn- explain to the person what tasks he faces and what rules he should play by. If the employee still cannot cope with his tasks, move on to the next stage.
- Treat- figure out why the task was not completed and try to resolve the situation. If a task is not completed the first time, we can consider it an accident; if the second time, it’s a coincidence; and the third time, it’s a deliberate act. After this, proceed to the third stage.
- Get wet- apply sanctions: reprimand, deprive of bonuses and, possibly, even fire the employee.
17. You need to develop your strengths, not your weaknesses.
Every person has strengths and weaknesses. Some people try their best to develop their weaknesses. In the author's opinion, this is the wrong approach - you need to develop your strengths.
Well, what to do with weaknesses? You need to try “not to get into situations where you can expose your shortcomings.” But if there is an opportunity to improve in any area, it should be used.
18. The strong respect only strength
There are people with whom you need to speak only in the language of strength. Strength is not fists, but a style of communication. Some people cannot be reached with logic and arguments; they only understand the language of force.
19. Only like-minded people strengthen a team
There is a belief that a good team should have people with different points of view because diversity makes a team strong.
The author does not agree with this. When working with people who have a different opinion, you have to spend a lot of effort trying to convince them. But with like-minded people you can do great things, directing all your energy to the benefit of the project.
20. Do not discuss decisions made with subordinates
At the meeting, the boss asked the employees to discuss an issue on which he had already made a decision. When the employees found another solution, the boss did not agree with them.
In the end, the employees had to agree with the boss, just so that this meeting would finally end. To avoid such situations, you should not discuss a decision that has already been made. An unmotivated refusal in this case will have a bad impact on your reputation.
21. Recognizing the specificity of death is similar
Often companies have a division that is considered “special” or “elite” and has less stringent requirements for it. As a result, employees of such a department relax and do not strive for high results.
22. Praise people
Praise is a motivation and frame of reference for employees, helping them understand what is considered right and what is not. Praise employees for doing the right thing, even if the result is not achieved, and they will not be afraid to act.
23. Don't count on people's gratitude
The author advises to adhere to the principle of “do good and throw it into the water,” because very often people turn out to be ungrateful. You need to be prepared for this and help, first of all, your loved ones, who will be truly grateful and understand in case of refusal.
You shouldn't expect gratitude from strangers. Once you have done good, step aside. Anyone who wants to thank will do so without reminders.
24. Protect the interests of your manager
This is not easy and is not typical of our mentality. But if subordinates begin to argue and disobey, the manager has to waste time and energy on persuasion and arguing, which is ineffective.
Even if you disagree with your manager, try to understand him. He definitely has reasons and arguments for the decisions he makes. Try to listen to him, understand and support him.
25. A team is created only by common action.
A common cause can unite a team much better than team building. A common goal unites the team, and there is a willingness to help each other.
26. A manager should be extreme
To be extreme means to take responsibility, make decisions and be responsible for them. This is exactly what a manager should be prepared for.
Constantly forwarding tasks to someone else is ineffective. A manager must be able to resolve issues himself. If the manager is only engaged in forwarding questions, then he is an extra link in the system. The ability to be extreme, to work as if there is no one behind you, distinguishes a good manager from a bad one.
27. Time is more important than perfection
Often before launching a project, people check, study, and analyze something for a long time. Because of this, the launch is delayed for a long time.
Even if not all points are taken into account, it is much more important to be the first to declare yourself. In business, as a rule, the winner is not the one who thought through and calculated everything, but the one who took the risk and did it first.
28. People will do things when it is easier to do than not to do.
You can many times call on people to take some action, persuade them. But it is more effective to create conditions in which it will be easier to do the desired action than NOT to do it.
To perform their job responsibilities, people must not only have the necessary resources, but also the “whip” that ensures the work gets done.
29. Grow people - this is your main goal
Bad managers are so afraid of losing their jobs that they are willing to work with weak employees. Good leaders develop and grow their subordinates, because people are their main capital.
The value of a leader is measured by the number of employees he has “grown.” Perhaps one of them will eventually take his place, but a good manager does not hold on to his position. Thanks to the fact that there is a replacement, he can grow on his own.
30. Any idea you have can be questioned.
Even an idea that seems perfect to you may be questioned by your colleagues. You need to be prepared for such a turn in order to confirm your position with arguments.
Expect pointed questions and doubts. Your ideas will always be resisted, because everyone is afraid of change.
31. Fuck analytics during a crisis
Analytics is a look into the past. If a company or division finds itself in a critical situation, there is no time for the past. Don't look back, but take a step forward.
32. There is no justice
There are people who see injustice everywhere. However, the justice they talk about is manipulation. In fact, they care about personal interests.
There is no social justice in a commercial organization, because those who work more, bring more profit, and make more significant decisions receive more. And the fighters for justice are the “Reds” from 1917.
33. First we fight the consequences, then the causes.
Many people struggle with causes, not effects: they study the causes, develop special programs to combat them. In fact, you first need to deal with what has already happened. And then understand the reason and prevent recurrence.
34. Everyone is responsible for themselves
Fazil Iskander wrote: “True responsibility can only be personal. The man blushes alone.” Everyone is responsible for themselves! He builds his own life, sets goals for himself and chooses what they will be.
Responsibility is not a “burden”, not a “willingness to take on other people’s obligations.” Responsibility = action!
The manager’s task is to create conditions for the work of his subordinates, and the task of the subordinates is to carry out the manager’s task. At the same time, the manager is not responsible for his subordinates.
35. Coaching in business is evil
Most employees are always dissatisfied with something. The coach focuses on problems and dissatisfaction. And to solve a problem, an employee is often asked to change his field of activity, and the company loses a valuable specialist.
36. Be consistent: they will start pushing you out
Any rules, regulations and instructions, even those discussed with employees, will be constantly tested for strength. Employees will try to get around them, find weaknesses, and try not to comply with them.
It is important to be consistent and not break the rules. Strictly adhere to the chosen strategy, or you will be broken, and everything will remain the same as it was before.
37. Don't trust people of dreams, trust people of purpose
Dream people are those who have a dream. They do not take any action to implement it, but only lament that they are not succeeding, and rarely connect their activities with their dreams.
Goal people know for sure that current activities are gradually bringing them closer to the goal. Goal people always know what they want and what they will do for it. They do not need to be controlled or motivated.
38. Any ambiguity is interpreted for the worse for you
Any vacuum is filled with negativity. If employees do not receive enough information, they begin to assume the worst: “others are paid more”, “everything is bad”, “we will all be fired soon”...
To avoid ambiguity, keep employees up to date. You can place boxes for anonymous letters around the office so that anyone can ask a question directly to the head of the company.
39. Any words you say can become a task
An employee can perceive even a request or call thrown in passing as a task and make a lot of effort to complete it. If no one noticed his work, this can be a real demotivation. To avoid getting into an uncomfortable situation, remember that any words you say can become a motivation for action.
40. A unified conceptual apparatus improves controllability
The more people have in common, the better they understand each other. A “single conceptual apparatus” increases team control.
To create such a device, create a common list of films and books for all employees. Having mastered it, people will speak the same language, use the same symbols, idioms and catchphrases.
41. Discipline is the mother of victory
The author claims that some methods of foreign motivation (free schedule, breaks at work, a loyal attitude towards lateness) do not work in Russia. Being late is a “litmus test of attitude towards the current job.” A person who cannot organize himself will have the same attitude towards any task assigned to him.
You need to demand discipline not only from your subordinates, but also from yourself. Discipline is the most important factor in the existence of an enterprise in a competitive market.
42. Exchange the weak for the strong
Looking at weak employees who do not fulfill the plan, work without diligence and energy, but remain in their positions and do not face any sanctions, the strong begin to think that no one needs their “strength”. Instead of dealing with the strong, managers waste time with the weak, finding reasons to leave them. And the weak perform worse every month, which is why the company’s results worsen. For high results, you need to focus on the “strong”.
43. Do more than necessary
Any diligent employee sooner or later achieves results that are maximum for his position. Then he either stops and is content with what has been achieved, or begins to do more than is expected of him.
By doing more than expected, a person creates an advantage over others. As a rule, such people become managers.
44. Don't be afraid when you're alone. Be afraid when you're zero
There is no need to be afraid to act, fight or lose. Employees want to work with a strong manager, but they cannot change him. Only he himself is capable of performing feats, solving problems, rewarding good and punishing evil, raising other managers... being strong! To be loved, you need to be a hero.
45. Always remember: one day you will be fired
The thought “today I could be fired” motivates and spurs me on, forces me to get into a working mood. Our time is limited and we need to get everything done.
Today is not a rehearsal for real life, this is life. Therefore, you need to love your job, value life and set your priorities correctly.
I understand what your problem is. You are too serious.
A serious face is not yet a sign of intelligence, gentlemen.
All the stupid things on earth are done with this expression. Smile, gentlemen. Smile!
"The Same Munchausen"
Honestly, I have not yet seen a single cheerful or dashing unit that had a stern leader. And vice versa, I have not seen a single difficult unit in which there was a leader who was open to everything new, a bright and cheerful person.
“The pack copies the leader,” said one of my close colleagues about six years ago. I began to observe, and indeed, it turned out to be so.
In my large department, I often move employees from department to department. You never know, you need to give a person a chance, for example. Or - let him try to work with another leader. And I almost always know when transferring an employee whether the new manager will be able to reveal it or not. Because it happens with the same managers all the time, and the same people also die.
In the previous chapter, we talked about obvious things - that words should not diverge from deeds, otherwise you will be considered a weak leader (I expressed this so delicately).
And in this chapter I want to reveal a rather difficult topic called indirect education. What is not in sight. What is not obvious. And at the same time - what your people will definitely copy.
Indirect education is much stronger and more serious than direct management, since certain rules and values that are close to the manager of a unit grow into the consciousness of his subordinates, as they say, with mother’s milk, and it is almost impossible to influence this.
This is a certain cultural or spiritual component that absorbs everyone who comes under its influence.
And if employees can resist direct management, since this is an obvious influence from the outside, then indirect education cannot be defeated.
Often, managers at any level do not even suspect how important every little thing they do and every word they say is. But the scary thing is how important every thought they think is.
I don’t know how it works, but if somewhere in the depths of the brain of the head of the sales department there is the thought that “all clients are assholes,” then, even if he does not dare to express this thought out loud, still, after some time, all of his subordinates will begin to treat clients with disrespect.
I don't know how it works. But it definitely works, and very powerfully.
Indirect education is expressed in micro-emotions, in energy, in relation to this or that process or this or that task. Employees are able to determine what is important and unimportant to you based on your emotions and reactions. And what is important to you is also important to them, because you are their leader. You give them a standard of correct behavior, a standard of morality, a standard of willpower, a standard of conviction. You are the first among equals, and the first will always be looked up to and oriented towards.
What can we say about obvious things that you don’t even need to hide?
The epigraph to the chapter contains a quote from one of the most wonderful Soviet films - “That Same Munchausen”, and that’s why I draw your attention to it.
One day one of the young department heads came to Timur. She came so that Timur could advise her about the difficult situation developing in her department. This manager had recently looked deeply unhappy, sad, her face reflected the unbearable burden of the manager’s work with dull and unambitious employees. Occasionally she was lightly made up and almost always hunched over under the weight of responsibility. In addition to everything, she began to dress in gray suits. In general, not a manager, but a walking sad smiley face.
The main topic that was announced for the meeting with Timur was: “Lack of fighting spirit in the unit.” My boss took thirty seconds to assess the situation, and he told her something like this:
Don't you have a fighting spirit in your department? Go straight from the office to the women's restroom. There you should have a large mirror on the wall. Stop near it and look at your reflection. What you see there will be your morale.
And he's right. Why should people in the department be scared to run around and have fun, perform feats and exceed the plan, if instead of the leader in the manager’s chair every morning they see a depressive schmuck?
They shouldn't. THE PACK COPIES THE LEADER. Don't expect it to be different.
Moreover, I have noticed many times that if a manager, for example, likes to work on Saturdays or stay late after 19:00, then more and more subordinates, for some reason unknown to me, without additional command, begin to work on weekends and sit at monitors until nights.
Before my eyes, there was a change in culture in one large division. The manager at the head of this gang loved to hang out in local taverns for a week after payday. He did not specifically organize any mass drinking bouts, but all the employees of the unit became fans of pawning by the collar. And when the manager changed and a person who didn’t go out for a walk became in charge, then literally six months later these same people (not others, but the same ones!) stopped attacking taverns and hot spots in the evenings, and went straight home to their loved ones and relatives.
And just recently a funny story happened to me. The girl, who was the head of the department, became pregnant. Four months later, all (ALL!!!) of her four employees were pregnant. Their men, lest anyone might think anything, were different. So they all went on maternity leave together.
This is one of the inexplicable traits of power, but it works. Even a president who plays tennis changes culture and trends. Or another president who respects judo changes the idea of martial arts.
Your behavior is like fashion, but it is not fashion.
Your behavior is like a cult, but it is not a cult.
It's some kind of religion that is practiced simply because “when we grew up here, everyone around us believed in it. So I believe.” This is how it is done here, it has always been this way. I repeat what my boss does, says, and even thinks.
Does the manager treat the organization's accountant badly? And it seems that he did not swear at her in front of anyone, and there were no direct clashes, and no public emergencies occurred. But for some unknown reason, after some time, all the subordinates of this manager begin to greet this accountant through gritted teeth. The pack copies the leader.
The manager is obsessed with extreme sports, but has never dragged anyone along with him or brought a snowboard to work? Well, maybe I posted a photo on Instagram once. Lo and behold, a year later almost every one of his employees goes to boarding houses for the weekend to go skiing and for the first time begins to plan a winter vacation in the mountains.
It’s the same with swearing, it’s the same with reading books, it’s the same with smoking, it’s the same with social networks, same with pets, same, same, same...
“THE PACK COPIES THE LEADER.” This tattoo should be next to the previous one.
And now the most unpleasant thing - if you want to understand what kind of manager you are, look at the employees who have been working with you for more than six months.
You are just like them. Congratulations!
Want to change them? Look at your reflection first.
And be sure to think about your serious face. The power you have been given is not a reason to start frowning. Otherwise, you will spend the rest of your managerial life in a team that is more like a team of workers from a pipe-rolling plant.
M. Batyrev
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