Tips in educational leadership Managing a team

1. WHAT TO DO WHEN ON TOP?
Feljone G. Ragma, Ed.D.

2. TIPS:
• 1. Never ever think and say you will be on top
forever.
▫ Having this thinking will not help you become a good
manager. Saying this to your people will create
animosity.

3. • 2. Listen; but, be able to discern what is right for the
majority.
▫ When members of the organization voice out
something, welcome them. Never get tired of them.
Listen to whatever they will say; but, point out to them
that everything will be studied first before any decision
is made. When decision is reached, inform the
members of the organization and explain to them why
such proposal is taken or not considered.

4. • 3. You can always delegate; but, be sure direction
and follow-ups are given.
▫ People can be given tasks based on their abilities and
interests. But never overdo! Give guidelines and
explain to them what must be seen as an output.
When their task is done, never forget to say thank you
and honor them for their accomplishment. Give credit
to whom credit is due.

5. • 4. Be tact, candid but truthful when giving feedback
or evaluation.
▫ People in an organization always want to know how
they fair in the performance of their job. But, be very
true to them. Never overdo praises and criticisms.
Based evaluation on how they perform. You can
compare their present evaluation to their past,
especially when improvements are seen. But, when
performance is declining, focus more on how you can
help the employee do more.

6. • 5. Keep things confidential.
▫ Performance evaluation, records of salaries and even
problems shared by employees should never be
divulged nor be used as an example to clarify things.
These things have to be kept confidential to protect
the employees. If you are successful in keeping things
confidential, trust and credibility to the employer is
earned.

7. • 6. Never impose trust; earn it!
▫ As a person in authority, it is expected that people
follow you. But the trust and loyalty are not to be
expected. This has to be earned from your dealings
with your people. Earning trust and loyalty is
developmental in nature, so wait but do something!

8. • 7. When people need to be reprimanded, do it right
away; but, in private.
▫ Scolding an employee in front of his co-employees
result in embarrassment. Do the reprimanding in your
office so he can also say his side. End up with a
solution to help him.

9. • 8. Be friendly; but, delineation has to be emphasized
first.
▫ When you are just beginning as manager, establish first
your image as a manager- a person whom they can
trust, emulate, follow and respect. After that, earn
their band to ease up the barrier between you and
your people. Do this in a manner that professional
work relationship is not affected.

10. • 9. Be knowledgeable and never fail to update.
▫ Always think that people cannot follow someone who
does not even know what to do. So plan, study and
anticipate what will happen next. Be the direction and
never become the person to be directed.
▫ Attend trainings or attend advanced classes so that
concepts on how to go about the organization will be
enhanced.

11. • 10. Be focused and lead everyone to be focused, too!
▫ Managers should always stick to what the company is
achieving. The manager, therefore has to concentrate
on how the company goals can be achieved and how
the plans can be realized. Meetings and follow-ups can
be done to monitor or track down their status. Never
assume that they know; always inform!

12. • 11. At the end of the activities, always do evaluation.
If budget is sufficient, you can celebrate.
▫ Evaluation is the key on how things can be done better.
Let everyone participate so they can have a share on
the company’s dream. In this way, the employees will
own the dream of the company they are working for.
At the end of the work, you can celebrate a little bit
and extend thanks to everyone.

13. • 12. Take care of the employees as you take care of
the company.
▫ Always remember that the employees are the lifeblood
of the company. Without them, the company ceases to
exist. Look into their conditions, salaries and the like.
Consider their needs based on the capabilities of the
company. If their requests cannot be granted, explain
to them the reasons. Be very honest. Explain also to
them how the company can grant their request in the
near future by presenting plans.

14. • 13. Be a visionary leader.
▫ You should know what must be done today and what
can be done for the next years to come. Have plans
and envision how the company can face struggles or
go about changes and challenges.

15. In short,
• To be a manager is never easy. You are the central
thinking unit of the organization. You are there to
lead, guide, motivate and ensure that everything is in
order so that company goals are attained. Once you
are unclear to them, employees loose their trust in
you. They might even underperform or leave the
company. But, once you lead them to the right path,
employees will support and give you their very best,
without even asking them to do so!.