Are you a good manager? A quick checklist…

You are the company

I remember when I had my first big leadership job. I overheard someone say, “Whenever people talk about Patty they always say…” I was shocked, not at whatever people said, but at the fact that people were talking about me!

Why would people talk about me?

I quickly came to realize that if you are a manager, you are the company…

When the people on your team talk about the company at the dinner table, they are talking about you.

What would you like them to say?

Is every manager in your company a good manager?

Last week I wrote about how bad managers are expensive.

If you really want to improve your business and the bottom line, there is no more powerful thing that you can do, than to insist that all of your managers are good managers.

It will serve your business well to make sure that you select, support, train and set expectations about what is required of a good manager in your organization.

Results vs. Leading People

Delivering results is of course important. Good managers deliver results.

But if you are delivering results and damaging people in the process you are not a good manager.
You are a good deliverer of results.

Some companies are OK with that. I am not.

If the people are feeling abused, afraid of, and burned out by a hard driving manager who is so totally focused only on results, you may be getting results, but you are not building value in the business.

Those results will always be fewer and more shallow that the results of a team who feels motivated and supported.

Here’s a quick, “Are you a good manager?” Checklist:

If you want to know if you are a good manager of people, ask the people!

If you are a good manager you will get a YES answer for each of your team members on the following questions:

  • Do you understand the strategy of our business?
  • Do you understand the mission of your team and why it is important?
  • Do you understand how your job fits into that mission?
  • Are you strengths acknowledged? Do you get to use your strengths in your work?
  • Do you know what is expected of you? Do you know how you will be measured? Did you have input into this process?
  • Do you feel acknowledged and recognized by your manager?
  • Do you feel informed and in the loop about information that is relevant to you and your work?
  • Do you feel like you can work without fear?
  • Are you excited about something you are working on?
  • Does your manager help you network?
  • Does your manager encourage you to meet his/her boss and peers?
  • Do you feel like you can deliver agreed outcomes without being micromanaged?
  • Do you feel like you can give your manager feedback without fear?

Want some help?

This is one of my favorite types of work to do with corporations — to train their managers to be good managers and leaders of people — because it makes such a huge difference not only to the bottom line, but to the health and sanity of everyone involved!

If you’d like to talk about developing and supporting your managers, or to learn about my leadership and professional development workshops for mid-level managers, contact me. I’d be happy to talk with you about your business and your managers.

You can find Patty at www.AzzarelloGroup.com, follow her on twitter or Facebook, or read her books RISE and MOVE.


Sponsorship and Career Risk
Bad Managers are Expensive
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