Managing a business is never easy. Aside from the day to day challenges of motivating employees and keeping everything on track, the role of manager can be acutely stressful as well.
In the desire to perform as well as possible, some managers try to micro-manage every aspect of the business, becoming obsessed with little things and losing sight of the bigger picture. In the process, the business can suffer – despite the best efforts of its manager.
So how can you reduce your stress levels and keep everything running smoothly? It’s not a simple task, but these tips should provide a few pointers.
Give yourself some time away from the office
One of the signs that you are becoming obsessive about management is when your time for recreation and relaxation shrinks. If you have been on holiday and spent hours by the pool responding to e-mails, or if you have put your golf clubs in storage for lack of time, it might be time for a change.
Taking a few hours away from the office isn’t just good for your body and mind. It also provides a chance to get a fresh perspective on your company's projects, and it will leave you refreshed and ready to put that thinking into action.
Take a skills audit to delegate effectively
Delegation is one of the keys to successful management. By giving power and responsibility to others in their specific departments, you can reduce your work burden and allow them to reach their full potential. However, actually allowing others to work freely isn’t as easy as it sounds.
Try carrying out a survey of everyone’s job descriptions, and maintaining a unified database of who is responsible for what. Establish communication protocols and systems that allow your staff to report back – but don’t bombard them with instructions. If their roles are set up well, they will know what to do.
Streamline all of your operations with ERP
One of the major sources of stress for managers is inefficiency. When you are constantly being asked to explain tasks to others, and work is always being replicated, it isn’t just the bottom line that suffers. Your mental health can too.
With the right system in place, you can ensure that every department is working on the same page. With an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system, you can coordinate all of your processes – inventory management, accounting, sales and human resources to production and transport. Everyone can access the information that they need in real-time, resulting in efficiency gains, happier workers and relaxed managers.
Let data empower you to manage effectively
Another way to relax when you are in the hot seat is to keep yourself informed about what is going on in the company. Often, the desire to micro-manage stems from insecurity about whether departments are executing managerial instructions. You can’t be sure until you ask, and if you lack knowledge, you ask too frequently – wasting precious time.
With the right business system in place, you can collect key data as it is created, and assess this centrally, instead of harassing department heads. For example, you can see how many invoices are outstanding, for how long and who they relate to. You can see how your inventory fluctuates, and whether customer demand is being met. You can see your payroll grow or shrink, and monitor customer complaints (or praise).
All of these tips have one thing in common. Managers need to be able to relax, confident that they have the tools and systems in place to take a step back. Whether you choose to do so on the golf course, or by implementing an ERP system like WinMan, it’s time to take the worry out of your working day.
Take a look at some key features here: