Though some funeral homes choose to shrink in the face of cremation's lost revenues. Most of us find we must manage larger and larger groups of people as businesses consolidate in regions like the northeast, or grow huge in size as we see in other parts of the country.
I know I have my hands full developing and refining a workable approach to the staff I have on hand and I realize more and more the need to keep the management process as simple and flexible as possible.
In desperation, I picked up a classic book The One-Minute Manager by Ken Blanchard and have begun to put he prescriptions into use. The good news? You can understand this book in a minute. Nothing to memorize, no earthshatteringly weird concepts, but for anyone steeped in the old command and control mindset (and who isn't in funeral service with all these old-guy funeral home owners who perhaps learned a little management in the military 40 years ago, or more likely have no management training whatsoever), you could spend a lifetime learning to adopt and apply these simple and effective concepts.
At the beginning of the book, a statement which sets the tone:
* People Who Feel Good About Themselves -- Produce Good Results *
Such a deceptively simple idea, but like many "simple" concepts, a lifelong challenge if taken to heart.
I have begun my journey of un-learning and re-learning my approach to managing people. As I experience the ups and downs, I will share a bit more as time goes along.
In the mean time, you might want to grab a copy and start your own re-learning process. Even non-managers will find this a valuable philosophy in other parts of life.
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