You As A Manager

How many times have you asked yourself how am I as a manager? I can tell you that I asked that question to myself at least once a week for 30 years in business. I am sure you are like me, you want to constantly improve as a person and as a manager so that the people that work for you respect you and not fear you. I also asked my subordinates how I was as a manager once a month in our staff meeting to make sure that we were(1) on the same page in tasks and timetables,(2) that we were moving in the same direction on projects and people issues,(3) we were aware of each others issues so we did not bump into each other or do double work. 


I always made sure that I was a boss first and friend second. I really do not have to go into the details of how you do that or discuss why you may think it should be reversed. And with that here are the challenges you may face :

  • co-worker issues
  • motivating team members
  • performance reviews
  • providing enough resources for workers to succeed
  • career pathing where your co-workers feel they are moving in a positive direction at a speed they are comfortable with based on their skills
  • no being a good listener
  • providing positive or negative feedback
  • following through on promises 
I think you have to let your co-workers be in the forefront and let them shine and be recognized for their work. Stretch their comfort zone so they grow and feel comfortable in that growth mode. Complement them in public and any negative feedback in private. Does this all sound familiar, what do you think or add to this blog post?