Good Or Bad Manager

Let's say that as a manager, you one day decide to survey your team. You wanted to know if they think you are a good manager or a bad manager. Let's say that you gave them a piece of paper with instructions to write the word good or bad and place it in a ballot box. What would the results say?

I think we sometimes underestimate the power of leadership. I have seen some companies achieve some amazing things under good managers. I have also seen companies full of people that were just hanging on for the paycheck not realizing that if some things didn't change there may not be a paycheck in the future.

If you're a manager, see if you have good answers to these questions:

•Do they respect me or tolerate me?

•Are they nice to my face and complain behind my back?

•Do I encourage them or discourage them?

•Do I inspire them or do I de-motivate them?

•Will they help me when I have a challenge or pat me on the back saying, "I hope you make it."

•Do I find them doing something good and acknowledge it or only talk to them when they've done something wrong?

•Can they tell when I'm having a bad day and how does it affect the entire team?

•Do I control my emotions and language under stress or do I just let them have it?

•Do I communicate properly or do I leave everyone wondering what I said?

•Do I realize that those on my team have a life outside of work? Do I care?

•I am in leadership because my boss said I am or is it because I have contributed to the company?

My second "real job" as I call it, was offered to me four months before I got married, in 1982. It was at a screen printing company that specialized in sporting goods printing. I started working at night to make a little extra money for our honeymoon. In less than a week of working the night shift the owner asked me how much I would have to have to run his company. When I told him he laughed (it was six dollars an hour). He said that he had never paid that kind of money, and honestly, I thought the conversation was over and I went back to work. The next evening he told me that he would pay me what I had asked for, but I had to give my notice to the other company the next day. It was a tough resignation, but I did it and my current boss assured me that he would always have a place if I ever wanted to come back.

The new position was going to be a tough one. There were three guys that thought that they were in line for the position, which would have been good information to know prior to coming on board. The lowest level of leadership is where the boss informs everyone that you're the manager because he said so. I knew that I had to climb the ladder of leadership and get to the rung that says that I'm a leader because of what I can produce.

I arrived every morning about an hour before everyone else to get the day's production in order. It only took a few days for those guys to decide that it wasn't worth getting up as early as I did to get the shop running in the right direction.

The next thing I did was to take a place right beside them and start printing every now and then. I showed them a trick that made their job a whole lot easier. Next thing you know, they are coming to me for advice on how do get jobs out more quickly and with better quality.

I had one guy that was a competitive body builder. I went to the competitions. I had another guy that was in a band and I went several of his concerts. I even wound up as one of his groomsmen in his wedding.

John C. Maxwell, an international bestselling author on leadership, coined a phrase that sums up what I practiced years ago. He said, "People don't care how much you know until they know how much you care."

Randy's SuperQuickReminder: Your team is the reflection of your management style.

Click Here to return to SuperQuickLessons Menu