3 Rules All Managers Should Live By
If you’re a manager worth your salt you’ve probably gotten sick and tired of reading bulleted lists of magic tips to make you a better manager. That’s not what I’m offering here. The point of this article is to remind you of some things you may already know … but have forgotten. Rules that make you a better manager with happier, more productive employees.
Keep your word. Now, I can see you there, getting mad already. I’m not challenging your morality or calling you dishonest. I’m asking, honestly, have you allowed yourself to make excuses when you should just make a better effort to keep your promises. It can be easy to fall back on “well, I was busy” or “yeah, we had some issues.” These things may well be true, but they don’t solve the problem created by you missing the mark. You would be much better served to take a step back and look at your schedule and workflow. Is it realistic? Are you building in time for “issues” or “business” to derail your plans? If not, you can change that immediately. I guarantee you will soon be making fewer excuses. Are you challenging your people? When was the last time you gave your team a project they didn’t think they could handle? When was the last time you brought a mediocre employee into
your office and challenged him or her in a specific way to show them they could reach higher and do more? Sure, they all have jobs to do … but what else could they be doing to make them better people … and more valuable employees to you. Don’t overwork your people. Sure, you want your people to work hard. You want them to strive, to accomplish things on timelines they don’t think possible so they can reach their full potential. But if you overwork them, if there’s never any payoff or time to rest, you will end up with broken people. Even machines break down, and people are not machines. They will break down faster … and often for much less discernible reasons. Motivate your people to excel, but don’t forget to reward them for their dedication and hard work. Did you see yourself in any of this? Have you forgotten to draw healthy boundaries in your office? Roman Temkin is a real estate developer from NYC.