musings...

Being a good manager is not actually that hard, all it takes is practice and a willingness to communicate. And, like all talents, you need to practice constantly, here’s a handy list to help you spot the differences and to help you practice being a good manager:

1. A good manager listens more than he or she talks. A bad manager talks and never listens.
2. A good manager is as much a team player as a leader. A bad manager hides in his or her ivory tower.
3. A good manager delivers good or bad news in person. A bad manager delivers bad news via email, and rarely delivers good news.
4. A good manager gives credit where it is due. A bad manager takes all the credit, in the mistaken belief that he or she was the key reason something worked.
5. A good manager schedules downtime so as not to burn out the team. A bad manager burns out the team, and replaces people when they are burnt out, thinking they were losers.
6. A good manager makes the workplace (and work) fun. A bad manager believes having fun is something you should do on your own time.
7. A good manager surrounds him or herself with people better than them at doing the task. A bad manager hires “yes” people who makes the manager look good.
8. A good manager understands and encourages focused side-projects. A bad manager fires people for doing anything not mandated by that manager.
9. A good manager does not tolerate in-fighting and empire building. A bad manager empire builds and encourages “favourites”.
10. A good manager promotes on merit and ability. A bad manager promotes his friends based on their ability not to show him or her up.
11. A good manager takes some of the pain when cuts need to be made. A bad manager fires the most expensive people.
12. A good manager makes work somewhere you want to be. A bad manager makes going to work hell.

A good manager is someone you want to work for and with. What’s your manager like?

Image Credit: The Boss – January 1963 by fotographix.ca on Flickr. Used under creative commons.