Journey Towards Being Better Manager !

TechnoparkToday.com(Jan,2014): A corporate set up is quite fascinating with the multiple roles that are available to do. Right from CEO to developer, name a position and it is there. However, the primary concern that everyone has is always on a single person – the reporting manager, RM. Those species are not aliens but the mere mention of RM triggers waves of frustration and mixed emotions.

A team and the manager have to co-exist, irrespective of the nature of the project. Multiple and varied expectations are set on him by the team. Does he know it and understand it, is really a million dollar question!  What does a team expect from its manager? A quick take on it !

An item that has top ranking for a strict no-no is micro management. The morale of the team goes down and the team feels nagged when the RM is nit-picky. This includes hourly or bi-hourly checks on the task status, monitoring the team’s timings for work and breaks, running behind each and every metrics sheet and deliveries and many more.

The next on the list is the need to empower the team. Success for an RM is never self-dependent. When the team is empowered the need to micro-manage ceases, the relationship within the team sparkles with energy, sense of ownership and belongingness increases. An empowered bunch of techies will empower next set of entrants! A chain reaction is sure to start.

The next expectation is the ability of the RM to handle team conflicts. There is no ideal team with zero conflicts. RM has to handle conflicts taking the emotions and success of the project as priority. The resolution should be mid-way and never biased. A biased RM never gets into the good books of the team. Listening to the concerns of team over a weekly or bi-weekly timeline prevents conflicts at a later stage.

RM definitely needs to trust the team. The team when handpicked thru a proper and fool-proof recruitment process deserves it. A team that feels it has its manager’s trust delivers better.

Timely appreciations, appropriate delegation of duties, setting up a proper team hierarchy, defining project processes and guidelines, being available for questions that the team may have, discussing with team before committing to deadlines are other major expectations set on the RM by the team.

Better managing needs better managers!! A better manager creates few more and there is no end to such a scripted legacy !!

Author : GM