5 habits that make you a better manager no matter your experience
Regardless of how many people you’re leading and how skilled you are, being a manager can be tough.
It’s been especially tough for me because I like to build personal connections with people.
And it’s taken me a long time to learn how to do that over Teams.
I’m usually the first to rant about the lack of formal leadership development programs, but there are some skills you just can’t learn from corporate workshops:
Impulse control
Everyone is busy these days. And this obsession with ‘getting sh*t done’ has taught us some bad habits. The worst of them is saying ‘yes’ to everything.
Anytime something urgent shows up in your IM or corners you at the end of a Teams meeting, prepare yourself to say this:
‘I’m in the middle of something right now and will get back to you on this.’
Then take a moment to understand the priority and the effort required to do the job well.
And when you do pass it on, be prepared to explain why it needs to be prioritised and be ready to support your teammate if it requires them to switch their current priorities.
Set boundaries
Controlling the impulse to say yes to everything gets easier once you set clear boundaries.
Start with setting boundaries around your time. I’ve done it by splitting my days into ‘working time’ and ‘meeting time’.
It sounds silly to the ‘multitaskers’ who think Teams calls are a great way to catch up with their inbox. But multitasking is just half-assing two things at the same time.
And that’s not very managerial.
Keep it short
When you’re sharing instructions or information, keep your content focused on these two things:
- What do you want them to know?
- What do you want them to do?
This will help you save time and ensure that every message you take the time to write is full of meaning.
Introspection
Your first job as a manager is to manage yourself.
Got a nasty email from a client? Don’t ignore it. Step outside and take a moment to process it. Sometimes venting your anger and frustration to a friend or colleague helps, but it may not be possible.
Process how you’re feeling, so you don’t end up dumping your unprocessed emotions and unchecked behaviour on your team.
Creative freedom
Stop measuring your success in how many problems you solve, and start counting how many issues your team solves.
It means setting a direction for your team and asking them to figure out how to get there. You can support your team by creating a safe environment for people to ask questions, make mistakes, and ask for help.
