Are you (good) management material?

• Posted by Brian
• Posted on September 14th, 2006
• View Comments

I stepped down as manager of my department recently. Although it might make this blog more interesting, it was not amidst a storm of outrage, money laundering, and unseemly behavior. It was because, according to my own personal assessment, I was not (good) management material. Not that I was a dictating blow-hard who ruled with an iron fist; I simply was no longer exuding the passion necessary to motivate and encourage a growing team of eight Web interface developers across three offices.

That got me thinking. What exactly is good management material? Based upon my experiences managing (and being managed), I was able to draw some straightforward conclusions. This isn’t earth shattering information or rocket science, but if you fail to meet this criteria, I am hard pressed to believe you will make good management material yourself.

Are you available?

One of the keys to being a good manager is availability. Among the skyscrapers of New York and Los Angeles, I am sure many managers sit in corner offices mediating without input from underlings. It is rare that managers make themselves available, and in previous positions I have held it was easy to track the routine methods of avoidance managers practiced. It usually involved several meetings, bathroom breaks, a full voice message box, and closed doors.

Wait a minute, you say, aren’t managers supposed to be busy? Who isn’t busy. I have work, you have work, we all have work to do, but if you are a manager, then part of your work involves knowing of my work. If you do not have time to talk in the moment, then schedule time — if not now, then ask yourself when. If your employees can’t expect a respectable amount of availability and face-time, then you will miss out on what makes some managers worth their weight in gold.

Are you listening?

Wired Magazine published a short piece entitled Do’s and Don’ts for the Tech Set in the July 2006 issue. Two of the “do nots” involve a Bluetooth and a considerable dose of interruptions no doubt to the tune of Nelly Furtado’s Promiscuous. I wonder how many managers answer their cell, and then raise their fingers in a gesture of “shush”, while their employees pray for a boss who is one degree warmer than a cold fish. Not only do you have to be available as a manager, but when you do meet with employees, you have to be listening. If you are anxious of those few who you think will monopolize your time when you do lend an ear, then you need to learn to get to the heart of the issue quick by asking detailed, clarifying questions.

Are you excited to mentor?

Undoubtedly, the best managers are not only available, and listening, but they make a conscious investment in your professional growth. Each individual has a unique learning style that suits them best. If you find it impossible to determine how you can mentor by unearthing these styles, then you might be at a disadvantage. You also have to be comfortable revealing weaknesses, and couple that with encouragement and a plan of action. Mentor managers will be excited about the opportunity to influence others for nothing other than the personal satisfaction involved. A good manager who mentors will also have a vast knowledge of the pertinent subject matter, and the resources necessary to begin the learning process should be close at hand.

Are you willing to be one-upped?

If the employees that you will mentor are taking the knowledge that you have departed upon them, applying it, reapplying it, passing it on to others, and then one-upping you with it — and you can be happy that they have done so, then you will make a good manager. If you can prevent onsets of glory hog syndrome, and avoid stealing the spotlight from the true rock stars in your organization, then you are leaps and bounds ahead of the pack.

The best part of managing can be witnessing the growth and success of others beyond your own potential. This is a great metric for determining whether or not you are making an impact as a mentor. Those managers I have enjoyed reporting to have instilled patterns of dedication, and created an atmosphere healthy for knowledge transfer. This places a manager in a position of confidence knowing that employees are skilled and reliable.

Are you capable of exhortation?

We are all fallible beings, so each and every one of us displays a bit of anger and frustration occasionally. However, I have been around the block long enough to hear the horror stories of ragaholic managers unable to get their tempers under control. Regardless of how adept you are at achieving the bottom line, screaming like a drill sergeant to get it done will make you a moron, not a good manager.

Exhortation is the practice of conveying urgent advice, recommendations or warnings without loosing your cool. Everyone makes a mistake, or loses focus, and a good manager will be able to put an employee back on track, or at least give them the tools to do so themselves. This is what exhortation is all about, and a good manager understands the technique. Exhortation is often delivered with a stern demeanor, but the course is plotted plainly without damaging the working relationship.

Are you passionate?

There is nothing quite like being blindsided by a little synergy. You don’t necessarily have to be charismatic, but some passion will do the trick. Being passionate about your job as a manager is contagious to those around you. I have witnessed some managers twist the most menial of tasks into an opportunity for discovering diamonds in the rough. This is because they are passionate, which translates to being alert or aware of the circumstances.

Being excited about the work that we do is usually dependent on the passion of others, especially managers at the top of the heap. If you find that you are unmotivated in the day-to-day, then you may find it impossible to motivate others, and thus, lack the disposition of a good manager.