You're not *that* manager, right?

Published: Tue, 01/28/14

Managers of people can get a bad rap. Sometimes it's deserved.  Check these examples to make sure you're not *that* manager.
NOTE: I probably should have sent you this post before last week's about how to guide your employees to manage up.  It's always a good idea to look at ourselves first.

If today's post seems familiar, I did share a link to it several weeks ago.  In case you didn't click through, see below.

On another note: Don't worry, I hear you.  EVERYONE is interested in a guide to "managing up," no matter what your role is.  More to come on that topic…

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How to avoid being *that* manager.

As an employee, can you relate to any of these scenarios?

  • You receive a series of emails from your boss on the XYZ Project.  If he read through his inbox, he might see all his questions are eventually answered.  He wouldn't have had to waste the time writing you, and flooding your inbox.
  • You tell your supervisor about this white paper you read on the future of recruiting. She suggests this would be great for you to present at the upcoming global leaders meeting. You prepare. When the agenda comes out, your presentation is not on it. When you question your boss, she unconvincingly covers that she had been thinking out loud and didn't mean for you to act on her suggestion.
  • Your boss stops in, calls, texts or emails you several times a day, every day, wanting status updates or asking questions -- all leading you to believe he's feeling the need to cover his back -- at your expense.
You might say this is a boss's prerogative, and employees just need to adjust. Fair enough.

As a manager, do you want to be "right" or do you want to be effective?

A number of my clients have experienced situations like the ones described above. It makes you wonder what's going on with the manager. It could be overwhelm, insecurity, lack of discipline or all three.

There are those of you who, as managers, are generally thoughtful. You recognize the need to respect another's time, to not interrupt their flow, to not waste their time asking little things several times a day, frittering away their productivity, and maybe even their goodwill toward you.

It's easy to fall into a habit and just call on people casually, while a particular item is on your mind. After all, you don't want to forget whatever it is. But then you lose track of how many times you've interrupted them today.

Do you want to be a manager, or do you want to be a leader?

Let's think about how to break these habits and get a handle on how you are using your time, and impacting those around you. Choose a day to examine your habits. On the appointed day, before you jump in with that email or that phone call, consider:

  • Why am I making this contact?
  • Can I get my need met another way?
  • Is this the person I need to contact?
  • Will this contact resolve anything?
  • Should I save this for a more convenient time?
  • What mechanism can I setup to manage needs like this better?

Your employees will thank you.  You both will end up being more productive. And a really nice side benefit is that you are modeling to others how to be thoughtful and productive at work.

Image: Pixabay contributor Public Domain Pictures
My Best,
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Mary Schaefer


"Empower your employees by empowering yourself first.  Your employes can only be as empowered as you allow yourself to be."






P.S.  I've been working on updating my website and providing a lot more detail as to how I can help you, and how it works.  Check out my new page outlining my coaching programs.  



About Mary Schaefer: I'm a coach and trainer for managers of people.  My belief is the key to being a great manager is to: "Empower your employees by empowering yourself first."  Click here to find out more about what I mean by this and what it can mean for you.

Question? Comment? Click reply and let's talk.
Get your Fre/e Guide to
"Get the Most of Your One-on-One Meetings with Your Employees"
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Let's start with thinking about how your one-on-one's with your boss go.  What's that?  You don't have them?  Or you are expected to run the show?  Well, that's appropriate in some cases, but you can do as a manager can do SO MUCH by applying some deliberate thought to how you run these meetings with your employees.

I believe the one-on-one relationships you have with your employees creates a foundation of excellent productivity and performance for you both. By deliberately setting aside planned time to cover meaningful topics you set the tone to create strong, trusting, reliable relationships and understand what really motivates your employees.

So please, don't wait any longer to claim your fr/ee copy of this guide, and take your meetings from perfunctory to productive!

The Empowered Manager's Success Kit
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To be a "good" manager of people it's understood that you are responsible for motivating your employees, for guiding them through rough patches, for being there when they need you and particularly to answer their questions. This is all well and good until your good intentions result in your employees becoming too dependent on you, and they stop challenging themselves to be more resourceful.

The Empowered Manager Success Kit is full of tools and guides to help you move from the "good" manager mindset to that of an empowered manager, one who is comfortable without their own authority, using it for right and noble reasons.

The really interesting thing about YOU becoming more empowered is that it makes room for your employees own resourcefulness and brilliance to blossom.  You want to be a part of that, right?


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