Management can be considered the hierarchy in a company. Everyone in a company has some form of manager. Even a CEO answers to someone. Ultimately, it is the people that purchase a company’s product that manages where that company is going because those people are the ones that deliver the sales. Without sales, the company is destined for failure.
Some people need more management than others, not that there is anything wrong with that. As we progress up the proverbial corporate ladder, there is an expectation that we need less hands on management. For the few that make it to the C-level, management is more around reading the corporate tea leaves and steering the company accordingly.
But what does it mean to manage people correctly? A good manager will communicate with reports (in both directions) and understand how much management downward reports actually need. It is extremely important to give people some level of freedom as micro-management rarely ever works. Alternatively, people need direction and understanding how much direction is one of the keys of managing appropriately.
Respecting people is incredibly important. When management does not respect staff then they tend to not want to work as much. If there is someone that does the bare minimum of work, then that is usually a person that does not feel respected. The ones that go above and beyond are the ones that feel worthiness in their roles. They feel that their actions help the company and will want to work harder to see the company succeed. Therefore, one sign of good management is when there are valued employees that work hard and are willing to do more than their regular job duties.
How does management get to a point in which employees want to work harder? Having one-on-one conversations is a great way to hear what employees have to say. These should be on-going meetings where the employees should feel empowered to discuss the good, bad, and ugly about their jobs. Management should listen and offer constructive criticism where appropriate – never berate an employee during these meetings. Another way is to show the value of the employees. Management will need to learn what motivates each person and it is not always financial. For instance, calling out the positive actions of employees (giving kudos) can cost no money. It is an illustration that their actions are seen and respected.
People want some level of structure and this is where management needs to step in. Listen to the employees and try to understand how much structure each one needs to be given. The more senior employees will want to understand the overall direction of the company so there can be a conversation around projects that can help the success of that direction. Management should meet with the senior employees regularly to discuss their work so that it aligns with the overall direction. A horrible feeling is to spend a lot of time on a project only to be told that it does not align with the overall direction – all that work is considered worthless.
Overall, it is work by employees that allow a company to move forward. Employees that feel valued will want to work harder. Management has a responsibility to show that employees’ work is valued. This will help a company to excel. I wrote this because of my own experiences with both good and bad management. I have left a few roles due specifically to some bad managers. If you have had any experiences that you want to share, please let me know.