In order to effectively use the authority, you need to clearly understand its functions. Properly implemented functions of authority will provide you an opportunity for effective work of management tools. So what should the authority do?
Function 1. Formation of the paradigms
This is the most important and usually the most neglected function of authority. Paradigm is a kind of prism through which you and your employees see the world. Unfortunately, these paradigms do not always coincide. Nevertheless, it is quite possible to influence the wrong paradigm. While influencing others note that such criteria as reasonableness, gradualism, perseverance, and consistency have much more positive affect than sharpness, speed, and strength.
The manager is responsible for ensuring that there is one set of paradigms that make the subordinate interested and let them achieve the desired indicators. Another point is also important: it’s not enough to formulate and declare paradigms, you need to ensure that all the subordinates are agreed with them.
Everyone agrees with this point, but as a rule, three main approaches prevail:
- Everything is clear. It is implied that everything is clear and the subordinates catch ideas out of thin air. In this case, the most important rule of regular management is completely ignored: if something important happens and not formalized, we must assume that this is not happening at all.
- The most important is money. There is no use to ponder over ideology, the money promised for the result is enough, because everyone likes money. They forget that professionals can earn the same amount of money in any one of at least ten companies. If you want this professional work for you, interest him!
- Fighting with mold. Begin to correct the actions of the subordinates, ignoring proactive or parallel paradigm impact on their generators. You can not fight with mold, ignoring the dampness.
Function 2. Installation of rules
The authorities are obliged to form a distinct set of rules to be followed by the subordinates. The leader must decide which aspects of strategic or operational actions are currently the key ones.
The leader has two core competencies for the formation of laws and regulations: regulation and operational leadership, the ability to influence the subordinates. To raise the system of rules to the level of self-support and self-development, it is necessary to form the corresponding culture.
The system of laws/rules should not be frozen. In order to be effective, it is supposed to be in a dynamic state and slightly ahead of the requirements of the moment.
You need to make a periodical audit and cancel, introduce or reformulate some laws in accordance with its results. It is advisable to involve the employees in this process and use special tools for monitoring and managing tucks in your company. It can simplify your tracking of the employees’ efficiency processes.
Function 3. Enforcement of rules
You know perfectly well that it is not enough to develop and announce “useful” rules. They still need to be implemented and enforced.
To begin with, the leaders often form disregard for the rules themselves. For example, if the necessity of signing an order arises, we can often hear such an interesting dialogue.
The head: “So, sign here!”
The subordinate: “What is it?”
The head: “Nothing important again, just sign and never mind!”
So what is that? The head, symbolizing the authority, generates disregard for the rules? Is it any wonder that the subordinate will then refer to the rules of the head in the same way?
Thus, the new rule of enforcement of the rules has been formed. And although it is unwritten, but affects the discipline in a very interesting way.
Two quite harmful paradigms are formed among your subordinates:
- not all rules should be followed;
- under certain circumstances, any rule can be broken.
Thus, the implementation of the rules becomes a matter of election. But do you really think that the subordinates having formed these paradigms, will not expand their rights and decide what to do and when?
Of course, it’s hard to deal with this, but it makes sense to at least do not worsen the situation and remember that the paradigms are not only elastic but also plastic.
Function 4. Rewarding the righteous subordinates
The authority should encourage those who comply with the rules of the game. In this case, rewarding has two tasks.
The first task: to reward those who behave properly. Properly behave not only the one who observes the laws and get the expected results but also the one who is trying to do it. Efforts should lead to progress and eventually to the expected results. Constant effort without achieving the desired results is not the goal itself. Any decision made by the leader in this matter, should not only be implemented but also announced to the employees, which would help to establish the relevant paradigms.
The second task: to demonstrate everyone who is not awarded, the profitability of loyalty to the law and justice of the authority itself.
The forms of promotion can be very diverse – from oral gratitude to a large premium. But the whole rewarding system should be clearly understood not only to the authorities but also to the subordinates. In addition, the authority can not afford to break its promises. If there is no certainty that you are able to fulfill your promises, you must carefully specify the circumstances, the occurrence of which may prevent rewarding.
Function 5. Punishment of the sinners
The authorities must punish those who do not want to comply with the rules as well as those who can not and do not want to learn them.
As well as rewarding, punishment should also resolve the problem of prevention, which contributes to the proper power of the authorities and the necessary paradigm in relation to compliance with the rules. The difference is that the rewarding should be public and the punishment is announced only after the commission of the offense of the specified severity. The publicity factor makes the punishment more severe.
There are material and moral punishments in the company. The leader should apply moral punishment to approximately 95% of violations, material punishment is the last warning before using “the highest measure” – dismissal. Different proportions destroy correct values and indicate a low level of managerial skills of the head.
Function 6. Energizing
A simple example: to start the car you turn the ignition key. The impulse should have an outside source, the system itself is not able to generate it. And the head is obliged to run the system, give it an initial boost and further energize it in the process. Unfortunately, perpetual motion is not invented yet, and part of the energy originally introduced in the process will inevitably be absorbed by the elements of the system.
Here again, it is necessary to take into account the consequences of falling into dangerous extremes. If you forget to file additional pulses, the level of energy in the system will inevitably decline and your employees will be in a state of “general weakness”).
If there is too much additional energy, your subordinates will feel connected to the high voltage line that is always accompanied by vanity, but not always efficient. It’s difficult to say what is worse.
There are different ways of energizing: new goals, strategic planning session, the story about the market trends, a joint discussion of the strengths and weaknesses of the company compared to its competitors, joint search for solutions to difficult problems, saboteurs and exemplary punishment of violators, special prize for the best idea, corporate party and much more.
Function 7. Correction of settings
In the process of operation of the system, it inevitably becomes necessary to change the initial settings. This may be caused by external or internal factors. Changes may affect all of the above-mentioned functions. Introducing correction of settings, the head can rely on:
- prognosis, when he analyzes the market and / or corporate trends, changes in which may cause changes in the settings of the system;
- intuition, when he feels the changes in external or internal circumstances that may cause changes in the settings of the system ;
- weak signals, when he notices a minor glitch in the work of various elements of the system and then make the necessary changes in the settings;
- strong signals, when he notices that the system has a fever and there’s no way, chance or hope that it will be resolved itself, he makes changes in the settings.
When you make corrections of the settings, you should remember that the system tends to maintain elasticity with respect to external influences. This social system is similar to a biological one. Consequently, the system will first resist, then adjust to new settings and reduce performance, and then has a chance to enter the expected operation.