The Manager - Edition 48 - Who do you work for - by Rob Lambert

Cultivated Management Newsletter

Hi,

I hope you've had a cracking weekend and are all set for the week ahead. 

One of the hardest challenges when you move to becoming a manager is to understand very clearly who you work for. When I ask managers who they work for, its common to hear them respond with "my people". 

It's the wrong answer. You work for the organisation. 

It's a hard move to make, going from being one of the team who is friendly and friends with people at work - to suddenly now having to remain friendly, but put in some distance. As a manager your job is to achieve business results - not sacrifice business results for the good of the team. Of course, there should (and can be) a happy balance, but too many new managers put their people's feelings, wishes and desires above the business needs. And it can lead to very dysfunctional behaviour indeed. 

I've seen managers speaking very negatively of the business to their team. I've seen managers refuse to start new projects because they don't agree with the business decision. I've seen managers change priorities because someone on the team didn't "want" to do the work. I've seen managers avoid tough conversations about performance because they "like" the person with bad behaviours. 

Oh my. 

It's not about "command and control" or "demanding" from your teams. It's about looking at the world through the lenses of the owners of the business - and aligning people and skills to the business goals. And if you regularly disagree with the direction of the business, the goals or the nature of the work - find another job. It will tear you apart. 

To be successful in your career as a manager you must align behind the business, deliver business results and work hard for your people too. It's why being a manager is so stressful - you're stuck in the middle. It's also why it is so rewarding to be a manager - when you get alignment amazing workplaces flourish. 

You work for the business that is paying you - not the people who may have once been close friends and peers of yours. It's a hard move to make. It's crucial to your success as a manager though. 

Go forth and find the balance. 

Rob

Cool Stuff To Click On

1 - This is a great skill in life, but also, very important for managers dealing with descent and resistance to big change. After all, there is seldom any traffic on the high road.

2 - Playing a musical instrument does wonders for your brain. In fact, some of the most talented technologists and managers I'd hire in an instant are musicians...a link maybe? Here's how music affects the brain.

3 - Could we use Artificial Intelligence to promote diversity?  

4 - Finally, some common sense thinking around this hype over "fail fast". After all, not all failing is instructive. 

5 - 50% of the world is on the Internet....but what about the other 50%?

6 - I don't normally get very antsy in this newsletter, but this is exactly why I deleted my Cultivated Management Facebook page. Our tech world is losing trust and credibility every single day. 

Book Of The Week

I've been feeling rough this last week so no book of the week, but I'm almost complete with James Clear's "Atomic Habits" - insights next week.

Thanks for reading this week's edition of The Manager. 

Thanks
Rob..