I frequently talk and write about my first experience as a manager, mostly because it helps me relate to other managers in my work, and partially because it helps me accept and embrace my very humble beginnings. Like most first-time managers, I did not receive any training or coaching and struggled with my new role. Too busy and inexperienced to understand how important being a manager was, I went about my business and let my staff go about theirs. No guidance, no feedback, no team meetings and no positive outcomes. It was, quite frankly, a disaster. Far too late, I was able to admit it was a disaster- after a series of unsuccessful attempts at denial, ignoring and wishing- but the damage had already been done. People quit both literally and figuratively and though I tried to blame their lack of commitment and work ethic, it was clear to everyone involved that I had only myself to blame.
Once I was able to admit that I needed help, I went about getting it. Like many new managers, I dove right into developing my skills. I sought out any training I could find and read every management book my local library carried. I reached out to every manager I knew and had more coffee dates than I could possibly count. Slowly but surely, I began to learn the mechanics of the many skills required of successful managers: giving and receiving feedback, delegating effectively, recognizing and rewarding staff… With time and practice, I began to feel really good about how far I had come, and I considered myself to be a pretty good manager. But I wasn’t. I was almost no further along than I had been before. Because, although my skills had improved, my mindset hadn’t.
With my first taste of power, I used my newfound skills in ways that were manipulative and self-serving. I was not entirely conscious of this, but in hindsight, it is clear this is what I was doing. In the simplest sense, I wanted my staff to do what I wanted them to do, and I used my new tactics to accomplish that. My words of praise and encouragement were simply to keep them satiated and productive. My feedback, at its heart, was not to help them grow into stronger professionals, but to get them to perform the way I wanted them to perform. My seeking their input was not to empower them but to create the illusion of empowerment so they would be satisfied and less difficult. All was designed to make my managerial life as easy as possible. I simply didn’t bother with what my staff wanted or needed.
Initially, it was hard to tell the difference. Tensions eased, and work conditions improved. The team was getting along better, and everyone seemed content. And that’s as good as it ever got. We were all bumbling along, contentedly. And since most of us spend our lives in jobs filled with unhappiness, content is the best most of us ever hope for. What an absolute shame.
Being a new manager running a busy community center was filled with meetings and programs and grant reports which left little time to step back and take a much-needed look at what was going on. After about two years, I was finally able to come up for air and do just that. And what I saw was fine. Not great, but fine. I wanted great. I wanted transformational. For my clients, for myself and for my team. Finally, I was able to understand the great responsibility I had as the leader of my team and I wanted to do it well. I wanted to offer to my staff what I had too frequently complained I hadn’t received from others- voice, recognition, legitimate input, opportunities for growth, sincere and thoughtful feedback. I wanted to do something great and I knew I couldn’t do it alone.
There are lots of different ways to lead and lots of management styles that work well. Among these, however, are some basic tenets that are necessary to truly lead and inspire, tenets I have had to learn and relearn along the way. The truth is, no matter how well-developed your skillset, if you don’t have the right mindset, you will never be the best manager you can be. Regardless of your personal style and philosophy, the following are essential to your success as a leader.
IT’S ABOUT THE TEAM
Referring to your staff as a team is more than semantics. At the very core of managing is a belief that you and your staff are a team working together toward a common goal. This requires intentional, open and constant communication; legitimate input from all team members; and a level of equality that values each member and her contributions regardless of title or pay grade. When teams function effectively, there is truly nothing like it. When they don’t, it feels more like individuals doing their own tasks until 5:00 comes and then coming back the next day to do it all over again. No fire, no connection, just a poster hanging in a cubicle lamenting yet another Monday. It may get the basics of the job done but it in no way produces transformational work.
IT’S ABOUT PUTTING YOUR STAFF FIRST
Many managers, particularly those in the social service world, focus all their time and energy on their clients. Though often well-meaning, this strategy will eventually alienate your staff. Instead, managers who recognize that their people are the core of the work manage accordingly. They create a working environment where staff are supported, valued and treated with respect. These managers provide the resources, time and training for staff to do their jobs effectively. They spend time getting to know their staff and learning what motivates them. They cater to their staff’s working styles and create a working environment where staff can thrive. With all of this in place, staff is more engaged, productive and successful which enables them to serve clients better. In the end, by focusing on your clients less, you actually end up serving them more effectively.
IT’S ABOUT RELATIONSHIPS
At the heart of managing other people is the relationships you build individually and collectively with the members of your team. Managers who view employees as replaceable and interchangeable do not spend the necessary time to get to know them. Further, managers who believe employees should adjust to their communication and working styles will never bend to accommodate to theirs. On the other hand, managers who understand that relationships are at the heart of the work will invest the necessary time into learning about their staff both personally and professionally. They understand that this relationship-building takes time and is the basis for trust and understanding. They also understand that each staff member is an individual and should be treated as such. This investment is a necessary one to create a working environment that maximizes everyone’s potential. In the past, employers may have spent their time and energy trying to keeping people’s personal lives and personalities out of the workplace, but this strategy has never really worked. Humans do not naturally compartmentalize this way. Managers who allow staff to bring their full selves to work will help their team perform at its highest level.
IT’S ABOUT DEVELOPING PEOPLE BEYOND THEIR CURRENT ROLE
If you believe your job is to train people to check off the boxes on their job descriptions, you will develop and train them accordingly. If, on the other hand, you see your role as creating opportunities for your staff to grow in whatever direction they choose, you will approach their professional development in an entirely different way. You will allow staff to have say in what skills they want to develop, even if they don’t seem to relate directly to their current job description. You will provide the time, resources and coaching for such exploration. You will model and encourage learning and growth in all its many forms. You will create an environment of exploration and opportunity. The energy that will result from this will amaze you.
IT’S ABOUT APPRECIATING YOUR TEAM’S WORK
Sincerely, legitimately appreciating it. Many managers employ a mindset that praise is best reserved for those who go above and beyond. That a job well done is its own reward. That a paycheck is synonymous with gratitude. Other organizations halfheartedly implement visible tokens of staff appreciation that are surface and easy- bagel Fridays, holiday parties and the like. But managers who truly recognize that their people are everything approach staff appreciation in an entirely different way. They let their staff know how much they appreciate them- all the time. They tell them. They recognize them privately and publicly. They ask how each staff member likes to be recognized and rewarded and they do all they can to honor this. Sometimes this involves lunches and team bowling tournaments but mostly this provides opportunities for growth and development. In many cases, it offers flexibility in scheduling, working from home and ample time off. When possible, it provides extra money and promotions. It is acknowledging through words and deeds that staff are the lifeblood of any organization and should be valued as such.
IT’S ABOUT RESPECTING YOUR STAFF AS ADULTS
There are so many policies and procedures at organizations that are unnecessary and insulting to hardworking professionals. From dress codes to leave policies, organizations who view their employees as untrustworthy people who need to be kept in line implement policies that convey this mindset. These policies are often enacted because one employee does something management does not have the courage to confront directly. Instead, they implement a policy for the entire organization. If, on the other hand, managers espouse a mindset that professionals should have more say in their work life balance and more freedom in how they get their work done, they will create opportunities that allow just that. Flex time and generous time off are not carrots to be dangled in front of potentially deserving staff. Instead, they should be normal practices in a world filled with ever-increasing technological advances that have made the 9-5 office all but obsolete. Expecting talented, competent staff to jump through hoops for the most basic of human needs will not retain that talent for very long.
IT’S ABOUT HONESTY AND RESPECT
Managers who maintain a hierarchical, paternalistic mindset are protective of company information. Employees are kept on a need to know basis and decisions are made on employees’ behalf without their input. When it comes to feedback it is often indirect or avoided altogether. Managers are ill-equipped to have powerful and open conversations and instead save up their ammo for the end of the year review. Full company benefits are explained once on orientation day and never again. On the other hand, managers who value their staff and treat them with respect are intentionally honest and open whenever possible. They make sure their staff are aware of all the benefits available to them and provide ample opportunities for growth and development. They are upfront and generous with feedback even when that feedback is hard to give and receive. They are transparent about what is going on within the organization especially during times of change. They treat staff as valuable members of the organization who are entitled to as much information as anyone else.
There are undoubtedly skills that managers need to be successful. And there are certain personality traits that make managing more natural for some than others. But improving on the mechanics of managing is the easy part. The real work is in developing and constantly assessing your mindset as to what being a manager means to you. Your mindset is going to determine your true strength as a leader. If you haven’t already, I encourage you to take the time to examine your mindset as a manager. How do you view your staff and how does this affect the way you lead? How do you view your role? Do you put your staff first or your clients? Perhaps yourself? What is your vision statement as a leader? Do you have one? What kind of leader are you and what kind of leader do you strive to be? Are you ready and willing to put in the work to get there? As you strive to support your team who will support you? Are you ready to invest in your team? Are you ready to invest in yourself?
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