Managing human resources professionals: How do you manage the managers?

I agree with Nik's comments that if all efforts fail, replace them. However, what should 'all efforts' look like? I always feel if I lose a member of staff it is most likely to be down to the management OF them rather than anything inherently 'wrong' with the individual - the problem with replacement is that you will very likely know even less about the new individual and could well find yourself back in the same position a year down the line but with the added cost of replacement, retraining etc. So: on a more positive note I believe management comes down to taking a real interest in what it is that makes the individuals in my team tick. Labelling a person 'manager' doesn't create a magical new breed of individual and they need to be trained, up-skilled and supported as much, if not more, as anyone in the organisation.

Step one: Does my team really know, understand and appreciate what is needed from them, why it is needed, what the consequences of failure to perform are and what the rewards or recognition are for those that outperform? Is all this reflected in their role/job description and is there clear integration of reward policies with the performance criteria?

Step two: Ask them! I have conducted a number of surveys over the years for clients and also internally within my own team and I have also independently facilitated focus groups - specifically around the issue of line management . By creating an environment where they can be completely honest and ensuring that this is followed up with clear immediate actions/response you can reveal which areas need to be addressed most urgently

Step three: Are they skilled at delivering hard/bad news? In the current climate a great deal of junior managers are having to handle conflict and difficult messages with their own teams, having never previously experienced anything other than a booming economy themselves.

Step four: Have you got one 'bad egg' causing an underlying problem. A colleague of mine has a manager who - for example - thought it was okay to sneak out quietly and go home early yesterday due to the severe snow conditions. He failed to allow the same consideration to any of his subordinates and they only found out when they realised there was no member of the management team available to handle a client enquiry. The management saw it as their 'perk' to go and leave the staff manning the ship! Management carries the responsibility of being the last to leave not the first. The staff in that department have no respect for these managers - surprise surprise. Earning respect from your team is a major factor in successfully managing them.
Good luck Mary - hope you are able to shake them up without losing anyone!

Dear Mary,
Nik & Legett are right in their own terms. Legett's exhaustive reply to your queries would have cleared a major portion of your doubts.
My retort is; " How are HR department people alone different for the other HR members of the organization?" Are not they too flesh & blood with, likes, dislikes, ambitions, aspiartions, sense of belonging, craving for attention etc..?
Human behaviour is the same the world over. It is only in th eyes of the beholder that one looks bad while one looks good. HR staff who handle the tribuklations and trivialities of the staff of the company, are more prone to mental fatigue and for role assumptions. When day-in day-out they keep hearing the negatives, it would defenitely rub-off on them too.
The best solution here is to make time for hearing their thoughts, feelings, requirements, by allocationg a special day and time every week by the HR & Admin management and give them the moral and spiritual support to face the HR problems faced by others. If the HR head says that I have not recruited the right persons for the HR job, then he / she does not deserve to be the HR head in the first place. If they cannot select the right person for the right job, how will they select the right person for the other jobs?

It is all in how we view a problem. If I view it as a problem, then it is a problem.If I view it as an oppurtunity to know my people, then I have truned a disadvantage into an advantage.. How are you going to view this is your mental make decision.

I like the point about setting time aside each week - brilliant idea!!
btw not sure why the answers are repeating themselves??

Hi Mary - one of the big challenges with many lower level managers is that they don't receive proper training on how to manage effectively. I think this is especially true in HR where people assume that if you are an HR pro at any level, you must be a management expert. Everyone needs guidance on how to deliver feedback effectively, manage and build a team, manage time, and generally perform efficiently. I wrote a book called Survive Your Promotion! The 90 Day Success Plan for New Managers which includes lots of great tips for people making that transition. Let me know if you'd like more information - I have a bunch of recommended books and resources which might help!

Hello, Mary:
I did chuckle at Nik's response. My immediate thought was that your human resource department isn't doing its job. Have they put a performance management system/process in place? If they have, then using the system to provide open, professional feedback at the appropriate times during the year and then using the system/process to escalate continued substandard performance would work the same for HR as it would for the rest of the company. If there is no performance management system in place within your organization, I'd suggest that you instruct your HR Department to put one in place and tell them that their department is the beta department for the installation. That way you could observe the implementation in HR closely without it appearing micromanaging.