Managers.
Every company, from the very large to the very small, has a management team. It could be a single person, or it could be many.
If you could rate your managers right now, on a scale of 1 to 10, how high would they rate?
And what are the biggest downfalls that employees are seeing in management? Are managers aware of the ways that they are sabotaging their own teams?
Regardless of how many managers there are – or how many locations, or company services provided – there are a few concepts that hold true across the board. First, management has to be able to take responsibility for things that happen – no matter what they might be.
Management has to be able to lead by example, speak from experience and, most importantly, know when they are lacking in knowledge.
Management must also know what it takes to keep a company moving forward and to rebound from problems that have pushed it back.
I am not suggesting that everyone should approach things identically. One management team member might find that a face-to-face meeting is more effective than conference calls, and vice versa. As long as managers are seeing effective results from their divisions, and both are contributing to the vision of the company overall, both are perfectly acceptable.
Managers are part of a team – and they must lead their team by being the "right" example.
Nobody likes to be "micromanaged" – The word itself tends to bring up more negative than positive connotations.
We all know what it feels like to be micromanaged. Your boss, parent or authority figure is constantly checking up on you, breathing down your neck or looking over your shoulder . Micro-managers are usually obsessed with controlling the project and pushes everyone around them to succeed, beat the clock and “do it the way we have always done it”. No questions asked.
Truth is, the "iron fist" way of getting things done never works.
Of course, their butts are on the line, and if the employees aren’t doing their jobs well, the managers will look bad to their bosses.
We understand how the hierarchy works. The bottom line is: everyone has to perform at optimum performance. The problem that I find is that there are some people in management positions that just don't belong there. You've all seen it – trying to fit a square peg into a round hole…and the rest of us have to now "deal" with this mismatch in management. Companies, employees and CEOs have enough on their plates as it is, and having a player who doesn't "fit – for whatever reason" – is going to result in problems – guaranteed!
Signs That A Manager May be "Bad":
- Your group is underperforming. Sooner or later, bad management will trickle down and affect the entire organization. Whatever the appropriate metrics are for an organization, poor performance can usually be traced back to a management problem.
- Your manager is turning up the heat. When a good senior manager thinks there may be a problem with a subordinate manager, he’ll inevitably turn up the heat and see what happens.
- Allies begin to distance themselves. It’s one thing for your enemies to talk behind your back, but when your work friends and allies start to back away, that’s an indication that the manager is "damaged" goods.
One of the most visible signs of a poor manager is poor decision making.
Decisions are actions, actions generate results, and results are highly visible. Pay attention to this very closely.
- See if their personal relationships are in the toilet. Dysfunctional managers also tend to be dysfunctional people. Relationships are relationships, period. And while I’m sure that some bad bosses are wonderful spouses and friends, this is not generally the case.
- If employees are miserable, you need to look at the managers. No matter how much they may not admit it, managers know if their employees are miserable.
So, how what can we do if we find ourselves in the position of dealing with a problem manager?
- Become self-reliant.
Part of the problem with bad managers is that they don’t do much to set you up to succeed.
One solution to this is to take on more responsibility for your success. You may need to define for your manager exactly what you need to be successful. This could be ownership of certain kinds of decisions, more resources, or just the room to succeed or fail on your own.
Once you’ve defined exactly what you need, prioritized it, and translated it into terms your manager might understand, it’s your job to bring these requirements to them. “Here’s what I need to be successful with my responsibilities here. How can you help me be successful?.” You can then discuss with your manager, on your own terms, what you need from them.
Open lines of communication are key to making any relationship work – both business and personal.
Managers today must keep those lines of communication open, available and a priority. Sometimes an email just won't cut it. Sitting face to face with a client or prospect may open the doors to some more in-depth conversations – talking things out until decisions can be made.
As employees, there will always be managers and bosses above us, however, it's important to look for the signs of those managers who really do not fit the bill, and then make appropriate decisions as to if you could tolerate working with them, or not, and also if they are in fact hindering growth in your career.
Leaving a job is never an easy decision, however, if the situation warrants it, then do it.
Having a bad manager, or working on a bad team, can be an important reminder to you: are you investing your energy and your life in the right places?
Marco Giunta
Sales Executive
A Sales Strategy and Business Development consultant with over 25 years of successful Senior Sales and Sales Management experience. Hard-charging leader for Fortune 500 clients Morgan Stanley, Staples, JPMC, MetLife, Goldman Sachs, JPMC, Bank of America, Wachovia, and Ross. Consistently earned top ranks in sales performance in every position by bringing revenues, profits and market share to new heights. Thrives on developing new business, revitalizing non-performing sales programs, and increasing company market share.
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[...] I agree with so much of what you have said here. If a manager is “real” and confident and comfortable in his own shoes, it will shine through in his management abilities. It sounds like you’ve had some great learning opportunities in your career. But not only was it the managers who made their mark on you – and made you think and react certain ways – but also it was in the way you chose to work with the advice and information that was given to you. You could have the best manager around, but if you are not open to learning and growing from your experiences, none of it will matter. http://marcogiunta.com/blog/back-to-basics-managers-good-for-the-bottom-line/ [...]
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