“I’m a manager, not a salesperson.”

Seriously? You have never attempted to persuade someone to your point-of-view? To make a change? To go in a different direction?

“Well of course I have, but that’s not sales. I’m not asking people for money.” [Add the appropriate look of disgust.]

I’ve had this dialogue more than a few times, typically in the context of leading change or communicating a vision for an organization. As a manager, you may not believe you are in “sales” because you don’t ask for money, but this rather limited view of management will probably limit your success as a manager.

“Selling” is simply the process of leading someone to a decision – a yes, or a no, or in many cases, a “not now.” This is something managers are often required to do, and, like it or not, it requires persuasion skills.

In my mind, if you don’t understand the role of persuasion (selling) in management, I’m not sure you fully understand the scope of your responsibilities as a manager. Why? Because management involves leading your employees, and leadership is based on influence – a critical component of persuasion. Clearly, if one lacks the ability to influence someone, he or she likely lacks the ability to “sell” that individual on a new idea, or a change in course, or a different process. Each of these items require an employee to make a commitment – perhaps not to spend money, but certainly to invest in a different outcome.

Perhaps the most common workplace scenario in which we have to “sell” our employees is when we sell them on the need to implement some kind of change. The truth is, people often prefer things just the way they are. Change can be difficult; it can be a lot of work; and, it can be uncomfortable. As a manager, you can demand change (good luck), or you can engage the hearts of minds of the employees you need to make the change. That’s what we call selling.

In a business transaction, when an buyer’s heart (motivation) and mind (logic) are engaged, that individual is more likely to willingly part with his or her money. In a personal interaction, when an individual’s heart and mind are both engaged, he or she is more likely to embrace change.

If there is a “secret” to success in selling – in any context – it is to understand that buying decisions are almost never based solely on logic. Buyers, for example, will often refuse a better product or service simply because the hassle of changing (for them) is not worth the benefits of the purchase. Or, the purchase might call their judgment into question. Or, the purchase might positively or negatively impact others’ perception of them. Or, many times, the purchase just makes someone feel good (think he bought that Harley Davidson for better gas mileage??). All of these items reflect personal motivations – not logic.

This same “secret” can be a very useful insight in selling your employees.

I think people would agree that becoming a great manager requires a certain amount of time. Very few people are thrust into a management position and then do it exactly right, avoiding the myriad of challenges and speed bumps that inevitably confront those who lead employees. No, it takes time to develop critical leadership skills. It takes time to acquire the experience that comes with learning from the mistakes we inevitably make. It takes time to create the disciplined habits that characterize effective managers.

On the other hand, there are a number of specific things you can do to make a difference right now. In fact, you can read this article, start practicing three simple skills, and become a much better manager – today.

The process is fairly simple. Almost without exception, inconsistent performance, or sub-par performance, is created by employees who are marginally engaged, if not disengaged. Disengagement is linked primarily to poor managerial leadership. What constitutes poor managerial leadership? Well, that list can get pretty long, but the primary issues are poor communication and the failure to make employees feel appreciated or valued.

The simplest way to deal with these two very common issues is to open up and create meaningful dialogue with your employees. Unfortunately, managers almost always feel they have too much on their plates to waste time engaging in conversation with employees. There are deadlines. Demanding customers. Budgets. Projects. Problems to be solved. And that’s before lunch. In the final analysis, taking the time to sit and chat with an employee is just not very high on the priority list when there are a dozen critical fires to put out at any one time.

Not to worry. The three secrets described below are simple to execute and, in the big scheme of things, will improve your management skills dramatically. More importantly, they may even free up some time, since employees generally do much better work when they are engaged.

Three Secrets to Better Management

Secret No. 1: Find out what you can do to help your people succeed.

How? Simply ask.

It is amazing how few managers actually ask their employees what they need to be more effective in their jobs. In a recent Harvard Business Review article, authors Linda Hill and Kent Lineback suggested what they believe is the most important question a manager can ask employees: “What can I do to help you be more effective?”

Great question! If it’s not the most important question you can ask, it has to be in the top five. Assuming you have some semblance of a relationship with your employees; i.e., the employee doesn’t have a small figure on his/her desk with your name on it, full of thumbtacks or stick pins, he/she will typically be willing to share a thing or two that will really make a difference in how they perform.

Taking this idea a step further, this could easily be the question you ask at every one-on-one meeting, before every project, or during every review. If you are serious about making your people more effective, you will ask – and then you will take great pains to deliver what they need.

Ask: “What can I do to help you be more effective?”
Result: Improved communication. Better performance. Fewer problems.

Secret No. 2: Give your people permission to push back.

One of the foundations of employee engagement is communication. In fact, it’s probably THE foundation. Communication, however, means dialogue. It means a two-way conversation; a conversation where an employee feels comfortable offering ideas and opinions. Sadly, many managers are not comfortable with that idea. They certainly aren’t comfortable with someone disagreeing with their ideas.

Caryl Stern, the current CEO of Unicef, doesn’t see things that way. She recently told New York Time Business Day columnist Adam Bryant that allowing her employees to challenge her thinking was a critical component in her success as a leader (great article – give it a read).

“I tell the people who work for me when I hire them: “If you work for me, you’re going to hear what I’m thinking. You can push back, and I’m going to listen when you push back.” My staff doesn’t have to worry, “Is she angry? Is she happy? Is she contemplating?” They know where they stand. They know what I want. They know what makes me happy. I know what they want.”

In a hierarchical relationship (teacher-student, manager-employee, etc.), meaningful dialogue has to be invited and encouraged. Make someone feel stupid and you will shut it down. Ignore other people’s ideas and the dialogue will fade away. But allow people to voice their ideas – rationally and respectfully – and you may improve performance in ways that you never considered.

News Flash: You may be the manager, but one thing is for sure – you don’t know everything.

Say: “You can push back, and I’m going to listen when you push back.”
Result: Open dialogue. New ideas. More engaged employees.

Secret No. 3: Challenge the status quo.

Most managers don’t want any part of this. Why? Because challenging the status quo means change. Change is work. And there is already plenty to do without adding even more work. It is true that challenging the status quo may mean more work, but failing to challenge the status quo can substantially limit a team’s effectiveness. That’s why successful CEOs consistently challenge the way things are done:

“In business, the big prizes are found when you can ask a question that challenges the corporate orthodoxy,” said Andrew Cosslett, the C.E.O. of the InterContinental Hotels Group. “In every business I’ve worked in, there’s been a lot of cost and value locked up in things that are deemed to be ‘the way we do things around here.’ So you have to talk to people and ask them, ‘Why do you do that?’” [Distilling the Wisdom of CEOs (New York Times, April 16, 2011)]

Managers must take care to do this in a positive way rather than making employees feel as if they aren’t doing well. Asking this question right is all about the attitude with which you ask it. On the other hand, this will often happen quite naturally just by adopting Secret No. 2. When employees feel comfortable pushing back, they will often point out things that could be done better, faster, or with less cost without being asked.

Ask: “Why do you do it that way? Is there a better way?”
Result: Performance improvements. Cost savings. Substantial gains.

The traditional road to management rarely includes training. To set yourself apart among your peers, and to begin the process of increasing the level of employee engagement, exit the traditional management road and start practicing these management secrets.