There’s a huge difference between being a manager and having the title of “manager.” Real managers are leaders, role models who set good examples and go to bat for the people on their staff.
The title of “manager,” though, doesn’t necessarily mean a thing if it isn’t backed by the skills and demeanor required for solid management AND leadership. We’ve probably all encountered someone who was a manager in title only.
Here are a few signs that you might not actually be a manager at all:
1. THE LONELY OFFICE
If your team members aren’t coming to you with new ideas, it may be because you have the tendency to shoot them down or pick them apart in an attempt to add value. Employees want a leader that supports them, and a large part of that is hearing ideas and concerns, and actually taking them into account when developing strategy and policy.
After enough unsuccessful attempts to be heard, employees will simply stop bringing ideas to the table (or find another avenue for their voices to be heard). When this happens, “managers” become cut off from their teams, and any respect for their authority is all but lost. To be an effective manager, you have to have an open ear for your staff, and more importantly, you have to take the concerns of the team into consideration when making decisions that affect them.
If you ignore your team, eventually they will start to ignore you in return.
2. EXCUSES
Does your meeting attendance seem less than satisfactory? Do your team members always seem to have something else to do? If you’re getting more excuses than attendees, it might be a sign that your employees aren’t finding value in your presentations.
Are the meetings collaborative efforts or one-man-shows? To keep meetings interesting, it helps to have at least a portion that’s interactive – foster a discussion instead of a lecture.
3. FORCED LUNCH
If you have to force people to go out to a company lunch, there may be a serious, serious problem. Company excursions like this are supposed to be fun, but an overbearing or overly strict manager can take all the enjoyment out of it. While these types of get-togethers can still be business related, part of the point of getting out of the office is to loosen up a little bit. If you aren’t allowing this to happen, then it’s pretty likely that no one is going to volunteer to make the special trip.
4. THE SLOW LEAK
If employee retention is a problem, it might have more to do with you than the employees – especially when tenured or highly skilled team members are seeking other means of employment, despite your best efforts to keep them on staff. If incentive packages, raises, or other perks aren’t keeping the best and brightest satisfied, it might be time to look in the mirror for the problem.
Being a real manager takes a unique combination of abilities, but it CAN be learned. Managers of every industry should make a point to build rapport with their teams – a work environment that revolves around mutual trust and respect. The relationship should ultimately be symbiotic – each role being filled with the support of the others. It’s the manager’s job to make sure this type of environment is facilitated through his or her jurisdiction.
What are you doing to bring your team together?
Anil Saxena is the President of Cube 2.14, an organizational development consulting firm that works with clients to increase both customer and employee engagement while decreasing turnover, improving customer retention, and increasing profitability within organizations.
Saxena is a certified High Impact coach and trainer and a Joint Application Design facilitator. He is also certified by both Rush Systems and IBM as a focus group facilitator. He is an inaugural member of Northwestern University’s Learning and Organizational Change program, and he earned his bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the Illinois Institute of Technology.
