Though Some part of management can be allot of fun, when you need to be creative and work on strategy! And think creatively to create solutions…. Empowering some staff can be so self rewarding … yet not being able to motivate some of them can become frustrating….
Bottom line , I’m sure wasn’t born to be a manager…. Managers should be mean creatures who don’t care what others feel, they want the job done, they want efficiency, regardless of intelligence or creativity… So before I create the right closure and transition out of my management business, I need to make sure I pass on the know how which I learnt for those who seek to be managers….
My most important lessons:
Follow your gut feeling, follow your heart, this is my methodology in life in general but in management its core as well. When you feel a person is not honest, is not performing, is not straight forward… trust your gut feeling .
Sometimes it’s not about you, it’s about characters. Some people are just lazy and they are not responsible, and no matter how many methods you follow to motivate them , it doesn’t work! They keep being the lazy people who call in sick in the most urgent timing. No matter what Douglas McGregor said, theory X does exist for some people. And once you identify those in your team… fire them…
When you give an employee a written warning, don’t be nice, write the honest reason of the warning, that will save you allot of legal complications later if you decide to fire him. A warning must state actual reason for warning in as honest as blunt as possible. If he was rude enough to deserve a warning don’t feel sorry and try to word it nicely. It’s a warning, it shouldn’t be nice or considerate!!
Once you walk into a place as a new manager, don’t try to learn people’s way of doing things. You’re in charge, teach them your way of doing things! There’s a difference between living the culture of the place and trying to manage work the way the team is used to from previous management. Keep in mind if the old management was that good , you wouldn’t have came here. Walk into the place and create your new rules and communicate them…
When outsourcing to an outside company any consultancy work , make sure you follow all what you studied in the procurement chapter of the PM! Its not a joke! No matter how good the company’s reputation is , good reputation of work doesn’t guarantee professionalism of any sort! putting penalty on delays is a must for you to be on the safe side. Tendency to delay delivery is very common specially for well known companies!! Since they are overwhelmed! Study the contract very well, and put your terms in it, not just penalty for delay but for unsatisfactory results or any expectations your have.
Don’t be understanding or nice when a major value related to your sense of work ethics is being undervalued whether from upper management or team. That’s very sensitive and important…. If you decide to ignore it, you are demotivating yourself.
Hire for attitude and train for skills…. You don’t always need skilled people around you. You just need some positive attitude with a high sense of initiative. A person who is always ready to learn is much better than the most highly skilled person who doesn’t like to receive feedback on work.
No one will motivate you, everyone will frustrate you! Yet you should keep creating stepping stones o out of stumbling blocks… and get challenged and motivated… because if you are down… the whole team is down and you lost the game…. It must stay your cause, they must keep feeling your passion… it gives them the drive…
Being young means wanting people to admire you and love you. Being a manger means being hated! It’s a very hard combination to make…. I kept on compromising being professional for the sake of being admired and loved… now I believe the last thing anyone would want to do is friends inside the office… no need for that, just get the work done and communicate your beliefs professionally…. Because no matter how nice you are, if at one point you were honest enough to communicate your discomfort towards anything related to people’s work & achievements you will be hated on the spot! So why build fake admiration and love…. Be the mean boss, let them admire you for your creative work ideas… and get inspired by your passion… but never try to win anyone’s heart…
I hope that keeps people excited to become managers excited....
