Having spent over four years in a management position over a nine person team (responsible for the hiring, training, and managing) I found managing people to be some of the most challenging…and most rewarding work I have ever been responsible for.
My management philosophy evolved tremendously over those years and here’s a summary of my approach to the role. I’ve written it here in the first person intentionally as it reads like a mission statement.
- As a manager, my primary responsibility is to support the people on my team. My other duties are secondary to ensuring my team is well trained, supported, and informed; even if that means late nights and early mornings.
- I only succeed if my team succeeds. My performance as a manager is best indicated by the individual performance of each team member I oversee.
- My team members are most likely to succeed if I give them clear expectations and step out of the way. They are most likely to grow if I provide specific examples of where they exceeded or missed those expectations.
- Above all else, I need to remember my team members are people. They have aspirations to excel in their career and life a life beyond work. I need to respect this and show an interest in supporting both.