Happy Managing
Posted: Sunday, January 29, 2012
by Dianne Lehmann
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Quite some years ago, when I was in my early 30's, I had the occasion to become the office manager of a mobile home resale dealership. I was ostensibly managing men and women who were, for the most part, ten to twenty years older than me. I didn't know the first thing about managing people.
I made a lot of mistakes and found myself apologizing on numerous occasions to many of the agents. In my defense, the apologies were made in front of the entire staff. I wish I could say I learned a lot, but good management skills only came to me with age.
When I was older and wiser, I found myself in a management position again. I'd had the benefit of working for some very good managers and some very bad ones. I had a good idea of what I wanted anyone who managed me to do (and not do) and so I had a good idea of the kind of manager I would like to be.
Working in fast food is not for everyone. And as it turned out, it really wasn't for me. But I was an excellent manager all the same. This time around, I was managing a crew that was overall at least twenty years younger than me. For the most part they liked me and we all worked hard as a team. I worked very hard to support them in all the ways that they needed so that they could do their work with confidence. It was a very good experience.
The thing is … at least the way I see it … a manager is not a dictator. Their primary job is NOT to tell you what to do, how to do it, when to do it and how you should feel about doing it. A manager's primary job is to create a workplace that allows the employee to do their work to the best of their ability.
Of course, this supposes that the employee is well trained and knows how to do their job. But given that, the manager (and I really wish there were a better and more accurate word) needs to support each employee in such a way that they are able to do their job … and happy in the doing of it.
Good support does not mean yelling at the employee when they have made a mistake. It does not mean embarrassing them in front of other employees. It does not mean bringing personal issues with an employee into the working relationship. It does not mean handing down edicts with no possibility of discussion.
It does mean seeing that the employee has the tools he or she needs to do her job properly. It means that the manager should encourage the employee, and reward the employee for a job done especially well. It means keeping an open mind and allowing that the employee is their own person with their own ways of doing things and not a clone of the manager. It means that team work doesn't just apply to the employees and that the manager is also part of the team. And a good manager should be able to perform many of the tasks of her employees and willing to do so should the need arise. Or if she cannot, she should find someone who can.
I am not saying that there is never a place for discipline or disciplinary action. Not all employees are little angels. But the majority really just wants to do a good job and be appreciated for it. Leave the adversarial approach behind and cultivate co-operation and mutual respect and then you will be happy managing and managing happily.
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Top-level comments on this article: (4 total)The task of management is exactly as your last few paragraphs explain. Yes, most people do want to do a good job, and a manager's job is to create an atmosphere for that in the work place. Great Article.Hi Elle.
Great minds think alike! :)
Thanks for reading and commenting.
Hugs,
Dianne
good advice. I have similar experiencesHi Jack.
We've all got stories, haven't we. :) I'm not surprised you've had some similar experiences.
Thanks for reading!
Hugs,
Dianne
Hi Dianne- enjoyed your article. It seems that you learned to be the kind of manager that managers are supposed to be.
I found that doing this job was easier and more simple for me when I stuck to the outline of my own job. I tried to treat everyone equally, regardless of age or gender, but according to their position in the completion of my own job.
As you probably know, this can be a bit of a sticky wicket. At times we find ourselves wanting to make allowances for certain people for different reasons, but you know you can't because this could lead to an endless quagmire which could ultimately inhibit your own specific job performance. I think therefore that managing is not for everyone.
but it seems to be something that you can do well.
Thanks- Always Ella
Hi Ella.
I also think that is a key of being a good manager ... treating everyone equally. Things go easily awry when favoritism is allowed. I've seen it on many occasions. And yes! Managing is not for everyone and I don't particularly enjoy it, but I do seem to be suited to it. :)
Thanks for reading and for your comments!
Hugs,
Dianne
I can imagine you doing this job really well, Dianne, and I also think that supporting people and creating a healthy caring environment is the best way to go. Love always works better than punishment! I know that if somebody gives me good strokes I'm inspired and energised. If they criticize or humiliate me I'm completely turned off. It definitely doesn't make me respect them.
Hi Jennifer.
Right now, Bernd is having a bit of trouble at work with a person they hired from the outside to manage the optical departments of the two offices (soon to be three) that the doctor owns. She is young, doesn't appear to have any actual management experience and seems to think that bossing people around and belittling them is the way to go. It's why I've gotten onto this topic recently. Ah well. :)
He figures he'll just wait it out and eventually she'll get fired. I'm not so sure. It's only the people at the bottom that see her inadequacies because they deal with her daily. Only time will tell.
Thanks for stopping by!
Hugs,
Dianne
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