The Most Important Work You Will Ever Do
(Third in a series for Managers - to end this year and prepare for next year)
Leading people is one of the hardest, most joyful, thankless, and important roles in an organization.
Why This Matters
When you’re working with paper, pens, PowerPoint, ideas, thoughts, whiteboards - no worries. These are all inanimate objects. Not so with people. Every bit of productivity in an organization plays out in the relationship between a manager and their team: engagement, performance management, goal achievement, change management. As a manager you have untold influence on the outcomes of the team, department, division, company!
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“People leave managers, not companies.”
(First, Break All the Rules: What the World’s Greatest Managers Do Differently - Buckingham and Coffman, Simon & Schuster, 1999).
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Accepting a position where you’ll have a person, or team of people, reporting to you, is one of the highest honors one could receive in the workplace. Why? The development of a bond of trust that is implied, interdependent, and critical to success.
Trust Me
Just like a good parent, as a manager your work, intentions, communications, and actions are to be trusted and respected by your team. This doesn’t mean you need to be popular, likable, considered a friend, or even all that charismatic. These attributes are helpful, but shouldn’t be chased in lieu of respect and trust. The problem is, this trust is earned, not given with the new ‘manager’ title on your business card or office door.
With A Servant’s Heart
The reality of being boss is that there is a cost. You may get the title, the office, the increase in variable compensation, a feeling of a little power when you get your team. Now the work begins. Besides your work each day, you have to bring your best self to the office, as you are now under the intense scrutiny of your team. Each word, each action, each mood you display, affects your team. Scary? Indeed. If you approach each day with the intention of serving your team versus managing them, you’ll see that the work can be the most gratifying you’ll ever undertake. A nuance, to be sure. Working with your team with a servant’s heart doesn’t mean not making goals or letting people on the team run over you.
Call To Action
If managing people is so important, how do you organize your day to get the best out of the team, and to keep earning that trust each day?
1. 30% on people, teaching and coaching.
2. 10% on governance, ethics, compliance.
3. 60% on operational reviews, metrics reporting, and strategic planning.
If you cannot commit, serve, work extra hard every day to engage, promote, lead, teach, and learn from your team, please consider a different profession. No one is ever rewarded for failing. Failing with people is not an option. Managing people is a calling. Don’t abuse the privilege.
There are many professions that need strong individual contributors - go there, do well.
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Jamie Notter has written a poignant short series on trust HERE and HERE.
Jim Stroup writes each weekday on “Managing Leadership” HERE.
Stumble it!
Joe Raasch :: Nov.27.2007 :: Employee Engagement, Leadership, Performance Management ::
Well stated on all fronts, Joe.
Now, here’s the catch:
1. When and how will businesses learn to value individual contribution so that people don’t believe that they only way to achieve corporate success is in a managerial role?
2. When will people decided to accurately self-assess and follow their actual talents?
I don’t know the answer to those. But I think they are the right questions.
Keep writing…
Hi Steve,
Great questions! With the short term cost cutting view of the past decade (or two?) career managers are gone. What we have left are player-coaches - who are more focused on their day job than their teams.
Thank you for your input!
All - Why do you think businesses value individual contribution v. management?
[...] you are committed to making this team [...]
[...] There are four key areas that new managers need to understand. These areas may not overtly exist in your organization. Search for them and know them well before you start managing people. Managing people is THAT important! [...]