Do you ever think that managing people is a side job that interferes with your “real work”? Or do you become impatient because a team member needs help at “inconvenient” times? Or have you ever become irritated because your employees didn’t telepathically understand what you really wanted?
When you answer “yes” to these kinds of questions, you’re probably (a) suffering from too much work, (b) feeling stressed about not fulfilling your goals, or (c) frustrated with the entire idea of managing.
Here’s the challenge: if you’re a manager, you need to manage whether you like it or not, have the time or not, and have the patience or not.
Many frustrated managers have the impression that “managing” is some ethereal, mysterious, foreign activity that they aren’t good at executing. You may think that’s the case, but it doesn’t have to be.
It doesn’t require much to let your team know that you’re on top of what they’re doing and interested in their wellbeing.
+ Walk around a couple of times a week to check in with people. Have a quick video chat with those who work remotely.
+ If someone wants to talk to you when you’re in the middle of something intense, follow up with them later at a certain time (and make sure you do so).
+ When someone needs help that will take more than a few minutes, schedule time to meet.
+ Catch people doing something right and acknowledge it, publicly when appropriate.
+ After completing a big initiative, take time to celebrate with the team.
You can learn how to manage better. One quick tip is to allocate time weekly on your calendar for unplanned management activity. Observe colleagues who do it well. Or consider working with an executive coach or enrolling in a management course.
Feel free to reach out to me to talk it through and identify what might be best for you.
“Do something every day that you don’t want to do; this is the golden rule for acquiring the habit of doing your duty without pain.”
– Mark Twain
Header image by RDNE Stock Project/Pexels.
