Yes, I have to admit it. I have high expectations of managers. I am not saying that every manager I have had was a poor manager, and I am also not saying that someone is a bad person just because they lack management skills. What I am saying is that management is like any other job. It requires time, attention, and effort. Some people have a natural talent for managing while others need years of experience. Years ago, I served in a management position in my twenties, and I vowed never to return to such a role again. I was a bit hasty seeing as I now manage myself everyday as a freelance writer, but I have no desire to return to managing other people after that experience. Likewise, I have no desire to be managed by another person.
My own personal experience as a library director informed me about what to expect from managers, and it also revealed to me some of my own strong AND weak points. I was young and inexperienced, and there was a fairly large age gap between me and the employees. One of the things I learned was that I had a bit of a Road House approach to managing. In other words, it was “my way or the highway.” It’s funny to me now, but I’m sure it was completely frustrating to the employees. Over time, I learned to let go of the need to control every detail, but I’ve run into some managers who are the “helicopter” variety which only stresses out them and the employees.
There are a variety of things I have learned from observing managers and applying my own management experience. I even wrote about how I could never work for another poor manager in the future. (I had some very strong feelings at the time which have mellowed a bit…a tiny bit.) Honestly, anyone with a good amount of work experience has the qualifications to evaluate management because, at one time or another, we’ve seen it all.
For example, I once had a manager email me to tell me that my entire job description would be changing as they would be giving me the duties of another employee in addition to what I already did. I was understandably upset as there had been no previous discussion concerning this decision nor any discussion concerning an appropriate pay increase, and they sent the email just as they took off on vacation which limited my ability to have an immediate face-to-face discussion. I initially thought this manager found me intimidating, but honestly, I think this manager just hated confrontation which is a fairly common feeling.
My various work experiences have led me to expect high standards in managers, but that should apply to employee standards as well. Here are a few observations about managers and employees to keep in mind whether you are evaluating a manager or employee, serving as a manager or employee, or considering becoming a manager. Keep these in mind if you are looking for a job because the quality of manager you work under will have a lot to do with how your job goes.
- Yes, managers are in charge, but there is a difference between running a tight ship and being on a power trip. Good managers are willing to accept feedback, change their minds, and try new things. They know how to control their emotions and reactions, and they understand the importance of their employees. Meanwhile, good employees know to be respectful of good managers and know how to handle someone lacking management skills.
- Once a manager loses the respect of employees, they may never get it back. Ironically, some managers don’t understand this, and unfortunately, it leads to employees giving “just enough to get by” versus “giving their all” to a task. Managers hold responsibility in motivating so it’s important to keep a thumb on the pulse of employee satisfaction. Vice versa, employees can lose respect as well through mistakes, dishonesty, and laziness so try to be at your best at work, and be honest when you are having a rough time because it helps managers understand if your work suffers.
- Employees and managers are all human so they’re going to have good and bad days. Don’t expect everyone to be perfect all of the time, and when someone isn’t as productive as usual, maybe it’s time to check on them to see what is going on.
- When employees do a good job, it’s important to recognize their efforts. When they make a mistake, it’s important to handle those mistakes with discretion. Calling people out publicly will cause a manager to lose employee respect. Employees should take responsibility for mistakes, but they shouldn’t be humiliated for it. Also, when a task is a team effort, the manager shouldn’t take all the credit for themselves as selfishness will create team dissatisfaction.
- Sometimes done is better than perfect so micro-managing should be kept to a minimum. If you want it done precisely, be prepared to train employees to do it just the way you want, or plan on doing it yourself. When you micro-manage, don’t blame employees for letting you down if you aren’t willing to put in the training time for them to do tasks the way you want them done.
- For employees, sometimes you can’t change the personality of your “helicopter” boss who always wants to be involved in every little detail. If you find yourself in this situation and things don’t seem to change, then just follow the exact rules the manager puts in place, but feel free to politely suggest changes. If they choose not to use your suggestions, don’t get your feelings hurt. If things don’t work out, you can always politely remind the manager that you suggested a different method, but remind them in the appropriate place and time. (Yes, this is a passive aggressive tactic, but it is sometimes the only way certain micro-managers ever learn.)
- Passive aggression can be immature, but some managers utilize this tactic with employees. If passive aggression is being used a lot, the employees may not be the problem. Managers need to be willing to self-evaluate for their own weaknesses and not just those of employees. Conversely, employees may use passive aggressive tactics to deal with managers since management relies so much on employees to complete tasks. If this occurs, what is the real problem?
- If a customer has a complaint, don’t immediately assume who is at fault. One of the quickest ways to anger a customer or employee is to misapply blame. If the employee is doing their job correctly while the manager wants to bend the rules, inform the customer of that detail. It should not look like the employee is doing something wrong when a manager is changing the rules for a customer. If an employee is in the wrong, there is no need to embarrass them by pointing it out for everyone to hear. Include a training session at the next staff meeting to be certain all employees know how to handle similar situations in the future.
- Keep private information private. This goes for both employees and managers. There is no need to discuss details of situations with uninterested parties, and more importantly, a discussion might be a violation of an employee’s or customer’s rights. If employees are confused about being kept out of the loop, it might be a good idea to explain what information is legally kept private so they understand why they aren’t being told certain things.
- Establish a chain of command and let employees and managers know who handles complaints about who and what. Also, complain if a manager or employee uses retaliatory tactics because of a complaint. If a company isn’t willing to protect you, why would you continue to work for them in any role?
- Employees are not clones so managers should be capable of working with what they have. Managers may be working with a variety of employees who were hired under various circumstances so managers need to adjust just like employees. Further, this might be the opportunity for managers to gain new insight and creativity from different kinds of employees. Don’t try to make everyone like yourself.
- Employees have the right to question managerial decisions if they are out of line, ill-timed, or will cause major problems. For example, if management picks a new platform but employees recognize it is insufficient for the necessary tasks, employees should speak up. Managers should be competent enough to acknowledge the advice of qualified employees, but if managers repeatedly ignore sound advice, it’s time to reconsider the situation. If a situation involves illegal behavior, like harassment, report it immediately to the manager’s superior or human resources. Waiting will only make things worse.
- Employees should be accustomed to regular evaluations of their work, and they should be mature enough to accept constructive criticism. The irony is that managers don’t get evaluated often enough by their employees, and this should be something more companies consider. If a company is losing employees at an unacceptable rate, it might be a good idea to find out how the rank-and-file view the management.
- Eliminating poor management can go a long way in improving employee morale and work quality. Someone once told me that academics protect academics in university work settings. Management may do the same, but this can lead to unhealthy business practices in the long term. Managers should be protecting the company and the employees instead of just themselves.
- Employees and managers need to have boundaries. Both should ask the question, “When is enough finally enough?” Employees need to know where their work ends and personal lives begin and vice versa. They also need to be aware of what acceptable and unacceptable managerial behaviors are. Plus, employees should have some idea of when managerial expectations are unreasonable especially when it comes to pay grades versus the amount of work expected in comparison to an existing job description. Likewise, managers need to know how far they can let an employee test boundaries before acknowledging that the employee might be causing deliberate trouble.
- It’s okay for employees and managers to compliment each other on their work skills, but don’t assume that you will always be friends. Some managers find it easier to maintain their management responsibilities by not getting close to employees. Also, if an employee becomes a manager, understand that the relationship may change a bit because they now have new responsibilities.
- Lastly, managers need to remember that they are getting paid the larger salary for a reason. This means that you can delegate some duties, but it also means you take responsibility for larger tasks and issues. Get used to some confrontation.
Having both management and rank-and-file experience has allowed me to examine the different roles managers and employees fulfill. Even now, I find myself learning new things when I look at situations from the outside. I don’t think I was a good manager when I was younger. I excel at being a worker bee especially when the manager is open-minded. Even if they don’t make a change I suggest, I appreciate when they respect me enough to let me voice an idea. I’ve worked for others long enough to know that no one is perfect, everyone has bad days, and work succeeds when people cooperate. However, it is no small task to maintain a peaceful and cooperative environment, and that is the responsibility of both managers and employees.
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Inspirational Verse for the Day:
From everyone who has been given much, much will be required; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, even more will be expected. (Luke 12: 48b, CSB)
All Things Subject to Change 