Somewhere Over The Skies of Colorado

I'm sitting on a plane heading to the East Coast and my neighbor decides to vent her frustrations that her management "doesn't get" her role as a Senior Manager of the company. We got into a heated debate about how important the role of the manager is versus her view that the business world revolves around the needs of each and every employee. 

I actually think managers are paid to run companies. We debated back and forth but I got her to come around to my line of thinking. I strongly feel you would want your managers to focus on far more than just making their employees feel engaged, acknowledged, and empowered. What good is all that if the company fails (as far too many do by the way) because nobody’s paying attention to customers and the business?

In trying to change her perspective I came up with 9 things strong performing managers believe and do based on my own experience of working with, for and managing some incredibly talented managers over the past 15 years:

1) My overriding priority is to help my company achieve its strategic and operating goals by facilitating the efficient flow of business and decision-making.

2) It’s my job to behave like a mature adult by being genuine and sensitive with my own and other’s issues, especially when others don't.

3) If I don’t set an example by working hard and being hands-on when necessary, I can’t expect anybody else to do it either.

4) It’s challenging but nevertheless critical to provide genuine feedback, both positive and negative, to my employees, peers, and management, and request the same from them.

5) Compromising my ethical principles in the name of “the ends justify the means,” or for any other reason, is unacceptable.

6) It’s my job to promote my team’s accomplishments and take the heat for their failures.

7) I need to provide my employees with the tools, training, and support they need to be effective, instead of setting unachievable goals and setting them up for failure.

8) I shouldn’t just “talk” a can-do, customer service attitude, but actually “walk the talk” when it comes to supporting customers and stakeholders.

9) It’s important to entrust my employees with as much responsibility as their capabilities will allow, and to hold them accountable for the same.

One thing is clear as we finished our discussion and prepared for landing - successful executives and managers do far more than treat their employees with respect. They create a work environment where people feel challenged, do their best, and are held accountable for meeting their commitments. But most importantly, they’re key components in an organization that exists to serve its customers and shareholders. We’re all happiest working for a successful company.