How To Think Like A Manager

How To Think Like A Manager

When we reflect on our previous jobs, is there a manager who sticks out? We may have loved working for one manager, but left a job because of another manager. Being a great manager is critical for the success of our team. 

According to a recent study, 82% of people would consider leaving their jobs because of a bad manager.

We must lead effectively. One of the biggest things we can do to manage our teams successfully is to have excellent communication skills. Learning how to think like a manager can help us do this. Even if we aren't currently in a management or leadership role, it is important for us to think like a manager.   Below are three ways we can learn to think like a manager. As a VIP Communications Pass holder, this article is packed with extra tips and tools to show you how to be a more confident communicator, including videos, downloadable tips, step-by-step instructions, and more! https://vimeo.com/manage/videos/789798141

VIP Communications Pass Video: Manager's Mindset

 

1. Clear Expectations

As managers, we must set clear expectations for our team. They need to know what we expect, whether it be about what time to show up for a meeting or a project's deadline. Ensuring everyone on the team understands what they need to do and how they need to do it will give our team a sense of safety and security.

Consider the following:

• Meetings – When structuring meetings, we can give our team a loose idea of what will take place and what they need to do to prepare for the meeting. For example, our team wants to decide where to host our next summit. The week before the meeting, we can send an email detailing what we expect. We can say, "In our meeting next Wednesday, we need to decide where to host our annual summit. Please come prepared with two to three different locations. We can also discuss summit themes. Please bring one or two theme ideas, as well."   When we do this, it gives our team the ability to prepare for the meeting properly. Our team knows exactly what they need to do and what we expect from each person.
• Communications Channels – As managers, our team must know how they can reach us. If we expect all communication to come through email, we must tell our team this. If we want our team to use a communications platform such as Slack for certain things, but phone calls for urgent things, we need to make this clear. For example, if we are quick to respond to text messages, but very slow to respond to emails, we need to inform everyone on our team. We can say, "If you have an urgent matter, please text or call me. I am very quick to respond. However, please send an email if your matter isn't urgent." Whatever our chosen communications channels are, we must ensure everyone is on the same page.
• Be Clear – Part of setting clear expectations is using clear and concise communications. We can leave our team confused and unproductive if our communications aren't clear. For example, before we type an email, write a message, or present to our team, we must consider if what we are saying is clear. Will the intent of our message match the impact? One way to ensure our communication is clear is to think about how our communication would be received if we were sitting in our team's seats. This will help us clearly frame our message. If a team member sent us an email with a presentation draft, and we sent an email back saying, okay, what would our team member think? Would they think, okay, the draft is good to go? Would they think, okay, it has been received? Not being clear can lead to misunderstandings and frustrations.

Clearly communicating our expectations will ensure everyone is on the same page.

 

2. Approachability

We want our team to come to us with the good and the bad. If we don't know what isn't working, we can't help our team be productive. We can make our team feel unappreciated when we aren't aware of what is working. We want our team to feel like we are approachable.

Consider the following:

• Get To Know The Team – We need to get to know our team. When we engage, we are more approachable. There are many ways we can engage with our team. For example, we can make it a point to stop by our team's desks to see how their weekend went. We can use a few minutes before each meeting to chat about what has been happening for each person. Strictly speaking only about business can make our team feel like we don't care about them as people. The more we actively engage with our team, the more approachable we will be.
• Actively Listen – We must actively listen to our team if we want them to find us approachable. For example, if someone on our team has told us multiple times about issues they've had with the speed of their processors and how it negatively impacts their performance, but we don't do anything, our team member most likely won't come back to us with any other problems. Listening to our team will make them feel seen and heard. It will also make us more approachable. 
• Lead By Example – If we want to think like a manager, and have our team find us approachable, we must lead by example. When our team sees our consistency, they will also want to be consistent. For example, if we tell our team to be on time for meetings, we must ensure we are also on time. If we tell our team to respond to messages, we also need to ensure we respond to messages. If we don't lead by example, we break our team's trust and become unapproachable.

Our approachability increases significantly when we actively engage with our team, take the time to listen to their concerns, and lead by example.

 

3. Empower Our People

When we think like a manager, we think about ways to empower our team. We never want to micromanage our team members and make them feel like they have zero autonomy. There are several ways we can empower our team so they can work to their highest abilities.

Consider the following:

• Show Appreciation – Our teams work hard. When we show them appreciation, it empowers them to continue to do their excellent work. For example, if a team member finished a project, we can send them a short email thanking them for their hard work. Or, during our meeting, we can point out a few people who have done great work. Sending a thank you or commenting on great work goes a long way.
• Ask For Feedback – To think like a manager, we must be willing to ask for feedback. For example, instead of telling our team exactly what they need to do and how they need to do it, we can ask them what they think. If a new process is being implemented, we can take a moment to see how this process will impact our team. When doing this, we give our team the ability to take more ownership of their jobs. Our team will feel more empowered because we aren't micromanaging every detail of how they will implement the process, but instead are willing to have them do it their way.
• Give Credit – One way we can empower our team to work at their highest level is to give them credit. For example, if our department got an award for breaking sales records, we can take this time to point out individual salespeople who knocked it out of the park. Yes, we lead the department, but the people on our team make it possible. We need to show them the credit they deserve. When we do this, we empower them to continue to do great work, and they will be more likely to want to do more work with us as their manager.

When we take care of our team and empower them to do their jobs, they will take care of us.

Learning how to think like a manager takes effort. We must practice setting clear expectations, engaging with our team, being approachable, and making sure our team feels empowered to do their jobs.

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