#93 Truths Bombs of being a 'Manager'

Management is the real gamechanger and perhaps a hard one as it has short & long term impacts. Stepping into such shoes & acing that role is undoubtedly a tough one! Let’s explore this together today!

How many times have we thought that our managers do nothing except delegate their work to us? Or they are just the reviewing authority for our work and find mistakes. But it’s only when you get into someone’s shoes is when you realize the real game.

And unapologetically, my last two years made me realize what it feels like to be manager or a team lead and it’s none of the initial thoughts we have about our managers. And I think before I delve into some hard-hitting realities and struggles one has to go through to sway in such a role, I am throwing some light on my past experiences of working with managers.

There are two type of managers that I have seen around me- one who literally does the minimum required and make our initial thoughts true and second who consider themselves as a mentor to their team folks. I have always been intrigued by the second type as they ensure we learn and grow in our niches and for us, they are the right trendsetters for being a good manager. Either you look at them and say, Hey, I am never gonna do this to my team or you say, Dude, I want to be as versatile and proactive as him/her. Trust me, we don’t realize this in our moments, but managers and their behavior not only impact us but also influence our future actions. So, choosing the right one is crucial for your growth and success.

A manager can't act like a role model. They need to be a role model.

~Ben Horowitz

Well, What exactly managers do apart from being a bridge between two hierarchies?

A manager’s role is to make themselves redundant. One of my mentors quoted this line to me when I embarked on this journey. He further added that as a good manager, my role is not to compete or show authority rather focus on building a team so well, that tomorrow one of them can effectively replace me. This might sound counterintuitive as you read, but give it two seconds to sync in to realize until, someone is there to fill your position and hold it up as well as you do, you will never get an opportunity to climb up.

• Little did I know until I step into the role myself, that as managers, you start looking clearly at how the role pans out and that gives you a clear picture of division of work at every layer of the organization.

• They set the tone and work culture for their team and own the reponsibility of bringing up a self motivated and energetic team work

• A few of them also appear as guiding force for you, who not only provide you with favourable advices but also help you walk along that path

One of the jobs of a manager is to instill confidence, pump confidence into your people. And when you've got somebody who's raring to go, and you can smell it and feel it, give 'em that shot.

~Jack Welch

What are some real struggles as a ‘Manager’?

Every manager’s journey is not hunky dory and it’s not that all of them go through similar path or situations. Not every individual gets onto the role through promotion within the team wherein they know the team mates they gonna be working with. Majority of managers are hired from outside who have to come in and bond with a set of team individuals and becoming a part of them is a tough task.

Think it of this way that you work with 2 more peer folks and one manager is hired and all three of you are now working under/ with him (I refrain from creating a superior-subordinate bond). You might think it’s awkward or a pressure on you to build a rapport while in reality, its both ways. Even the incomong manager is under the pressure of creating a mutual understanding as he is also dependent on you guys for the work and representation across teams.

• Set the Culture: Often manager and team members come from different background and experiences which become difficut to deal if none of the parties are open to change or evolve. Every manager has a certain style of work and they want their teams also to pick that up and it can be time consuming and slow process

  Building right culture is a slow process and team leads and directors have to constantly set it up. You pick up autobiographies of Phil Knight (NIke), Mark Randolph (Netfix), GE (Jack Welch); each of them have stressed upon culture as a tough but a required charactersitic for success.

• Time Management: As I said, a manager is not only a bridge to get work done, infact they are also the owners of team’s work/ actions. Smarty dividing their limited time to work on their actionable, review the team’s work and also deliver on time sometimes can be daunting for an individual. Afterall, they are not an individual contributors now (focussing on only one thing at a time), they have be aware of all impact that one action can cause.

  One thing that has worked well for me and manage time is spending some focus time at the start or end of the day. Use that time to effectively review, close your tasks, declutter your mail and ensure you have visbility on team’s work and pending tasks. Don’t forget to go offline or inaccessible to your team during that time.

• Building an effective team

  Team is your major asset and you have to be proactive in understanding team stances, behavior and if there are some issues running within that layer. I have often noticed an unsaid hierarchy that your team members will maintain as they know that you are the deciding factor of their next year's promotion/ growth. To build an effective force, it is necessary to break these notions and open your doors to their questions, feelings and dilemmas.

  One thing I have practiced as an Associate and now as a Manager is maintainng a neutral stance and being honest with my reporting managers. I think that they are responsible to resolve my issues and help me deblock my work. And my takeaway is when you go with problems and raise your voice for right/ wrong, they may not react to it immediately, but that resolution will come back to you in some time or in some way. Until, they dont know what you are thinking, they won’t be able to help you. 

• Covering Up for the team

  A courageous act but required if you want to build a growth-oriented team. Your team is bound to make mistakes and you have to ocver them up, which inherently build trust within the team to take risks. Other time, you have to take a stand for your team while setting priorities or resolving differences with other teams.

  One incident I vivdly remeber is when I was on a client’s place for a project and wasn;t able to resolve some issues. My manager came and handled the situation in front of the client and an internal meeting gave me a prep talk on how to single-handedly manage such issues.

Don't be a time manager, be a priority manager. Cut your major goals into bite-sized pieces. Each small priority or requirement on the way to ultimate goal becomes a mini goal in itself.

~Denis Waitley

While, I have chalked out some struggles that a manager can face, but there has to be some smart ways to deal with them

How am I trying to be a ‘Good Manager’?

• Be honest with them: Build an open communication channel with them, keep them updated on peripheral activities related to their projects, visions we have as a team.

• Official and informal 1:1 meet-ups:

  • Block regular catch-ups to understand their project scope, what they are enjoying about work, where are they stuck and how can you help them. Often, such meetings also work as feedback calls which help your team mates grow and perform better

  • Keep some time off to catch up just as a team which will strengthen their bond with you and among themselves and you get to know more about the person and their traits.

  • Keep such calls open and don’t formalize or set agendas for the call. It hampers the purpose and sometimes may restrict the individuals from sharing more information.

• Give them a free hand: Tell them that you have got their back and they can explore new ways of doing tasks and dealing with their work and teams. This drives a sense of confidence in them and motivates them to pick new work/ ways

It is better to lead from behind and to put others in front, especially when you celebrate victory when nice things occur. You take the front line when there is danger. Then people will appreciate your leadership.

~Nelson Mandela

What are you thoughts or experiences as a manager? Share with us via email or comments. And don’t forget to share the same within your circle!