We’ve all thought this at one point in our careers, “My boss doesn’t do anything except tell ME what to do!” I know I have. Now don’t get me wrong, there are a lot of bad managers out there. But the good ones… don’t DO anything. Think about it…
A manager exists is to do one thing… manage. This involves coordinating, developing, communicating, and following up with their team to achieve the goals set by upper management. Aside from these tasks, they don’t actually DO anything. In other words, they don’t produce an output. Instead, they coordinate the output of others to achieve a goal.
Another focus of a manager is to not just work with the team, but develop it. Typically, a manager has more experience which can directly benefit each team member. This in turn makes each member stronger, and ideally, more satisfied with their work.
Last, a manager must constantly strive to improve not just each team member, but how the team works as a whole. This is done by introducing new process and policy to help solve departmental challenges and help their team be more productive.
Now yes, there are managers who get so caught up in the authority and freedom they possess that they become complacent and ineffective. Yes, there are managers who delegate anything and everything they can to fit in one more game of Solitaire. If you work with one of these… remember… there are good managers out there.
Perhaps it’s time to find one? Or better… become one!
