Photo by Karolina Grabowska
The good, the bad, and the ugly is a famous spaghetti western film with three characters. While the world is not black and white, when you get a nickname, you may have a hard time getting rid of it. Even if the bad one is not ‘that bad’.
Do you know yours? How do people call you? Good or bad?
At work, we tend to simplify management work to ‘good’ or ‘bad’. Many leaders don't seem credible, and teams get annoyed with them. One thing competent managers do well is they care and they talk.
That’s it.
Breaking down the magic you get:
1. Care about what’s on
How do you feel when someone cares about you? Safe, comfortable, hopeful? And what if someone does not care about you? Frustrated, alone, unimportant?
The first difference between good and bad managers is how they care.
The good ones care about their teams and really mean it.
The bad ones pretend to care or do not care at all. They seek what is most beneficial for themselves. Care runs in families and friendships, but also in the workplace.
If managers don’t care, their teams won’t care either. Showing you care creates psychological safety. Your teams are likely to be passionate about your business too.
2. Be flexible in directions
How flexible are you?
Good managers absorb information like a sponge and mold themselves as it is needed. Bad managers stick to procedures and rules as they think they lead by example.
I remember one manager who was awfully inflexible. Everything was a problem. Every mistake was a big deal. She could not digest bumps in the road and made the teams uncomfortable as a result.
Successful managers are straightforward no matter what.
When faced with a challenge, they relieve stress and bring positivity. Plus, they admit when they are wrong.
Bad managers? Well, they don’t want to look incapable. So, they never apologize. Where is respect in such a team? I have no idea.
3. Listen to others
What do people want? Be listen to.
Listening helps form a relationship. You trust each other. How do you want your team to listen to you if you do not listen to them?
Communication is a two-way process. Bad managers do not care about it. They are stuck in their heads and job titles. Alarming, no?
Without listening, you don’t know. When you don’t know, you can’t make good decisions.
My former boss was a good guy, but he only listened to himself. That is probably why I am not working there anymore. Listening does not cost anything. Try it once.
4. Start with a question
I hate when people say: always start with a problem. What is that? All conversations begin because you have a problem? Weird, no?
Start without a problem. Start with a question. Talk with others and discover what they think. Ask them. But do not force them to accept what you believe.
Do not steer conversations.
The boss of one company always started team meetings by saying: “We are not doing well, we have to save money as a team.” Yet, the company was financially fine. He made up an artificial problem to trigger fear and loyalty. For what?
Good managers exchange relevant information. Say things as they are. No worse, no better. Transparent communication builds trust. Withdraw or color information, and you lose credibility.
5. Do not overpromise
Bad managers have an ugly habit: they overpromise. They paint flying castles.
One manager had one-to-one sessions with every team member. He said the same thing to each of them, pretending it was confidential. Well, it was not. People talked.
Bad managers make you feel special. So, they can use you.
If you don't realize it in time, you will get annoyed. They don’t like you. They just need you.
Good ones talk to you honestly. That is what sets great managers apart. Even if the truth might hurt. It is always better to be informed than not to know.
Don’t promise something, you know you cannot deliver.
To wrap this up
What sets you apart? Direct communication and your natural interest in working with other people. Yes, it is that easy.
You don’t have to be funny or promise nonsense for people to like you. Nah. Talk to them and work as a team. You’ll see your team will be happy to stay around.