Great Management Strategies

I recently attended a business breakfast in which Gail Kelly, CEO of St George Bank gave some insights into her style of management. She is a remarkable woman who arrived in Australia in October 1997. She not only heads a medium recognisable bank in Australia but is also a wife and mother of four (including triplets) - and is soon to be heading up Westpac Banking Corporation, one of the largest banks in Australia.

Her management tips include:

• Apply dedication and discipline to achieve your goals
• Have the right person in the right place - be clear about selection criteria so that you can recruit people who match the values of the corporation or business.
• Look after the heartbeat of the business - what it stands for, who it serves, and what the customers truly want. True service comes from understanding your customer's needs, so define your value to your clients - who and where they are.
• Work within the culture of the business - use the infrastructure and people that are already there and improve on this. Celebrate the achievements of your staff.
• Allow time to establish the correct building blocks, and growth takes time.
• Leadership is what you do and how you do it. It is behaviour that marks a true leader.

These might all be fairly standard ideas regarding management in the twenty first century - they are just stated so clearly and succinctly it is a joy to hear them.

To read more about Gail Kelly follow these links:

http://www.smh.com.au/news/Business/Gail-Kelly-to-head-Westpac-as-new-CEO/2007/08/17/1186857719777.html

http://www.theage.com.au/news/business/ceo-who-gave-birth-to-triplets/2005/07/02/1119724845747.html