Companies are only as good as their people. From a company of one, to many thousands of employees, we are only as good as our people. You can have the best strategy, finance, processes, and a vast potential market: these are all hugely important to your business success. And, without great people passionately working well together, you are likely to struggle, if not fail.
Maximizing your most precious resource, your people, is one of the most important aspects of any business.
Most of your real business happens metaphorically at the coalface – in the trenches – on the front line. Managing and motivating your human resources right through your organization is the greatest challenge and most rewarding aspect of running any endeavor.
This is the first in our series on managing with emotional intelligence. There are some lively debates as to what a manager actually does – and what a leader does.
‘Today’s organizations need effective leaders at every level and in every location’. Stephen Drotter Co-Author of The Leadership Pipeline
A story:
Jim is a new manager. He was promoted because he works really hard, is very bright, and did a great job in his role as a business analyst.
Now, at 29, he has to manage not only his own tasks, but has all the complexities of managing other people. Some are his age, some are younger; and most worryingly to him, some are quite a bit older than he is.
Jim loves his job. He thrives looking at the numbers, crunching them, debating some of the results with his friends. He would never leave until the task was done, often taking the work home with him…
…and that was OK. His wife is also really bright, career-driven, and she understands that this is their time without kids (yet), youthful energy, and great jobs. They love the buzz they both bring home – and the dreams of the success to come.
Many of the folks at work are his buddies. They go out from time to time, a small group of them hang out quite a bit. He has no problem with the others, (the older ‘guys’ and the ‘youngsters’), it’s just he really connects with his friends. They’ve worked together for years…
Now, Jim has a whole new set of concerns, tasks, meetings, stakeholders, reports to deal with, and he has to ‘manage’ the individuals and lead his team. He still has his analyst tasks, as well. Jim is thoughtful, smart, resourceful, ambitious…
…and so totally unprepared for his new role! What is he to do?
How can he no longer be one of ‘us’ and how is it possible he has become one of ‘them’: the people who sometimes just don’t seem to get it?!
Jim is committed to being different…
…to be a better manager. To be a real leader.
He knows that he does not know. He knows he needs help. He is learning just how much he does not know about managing when…
…Jim’s good buddy John just does not get his work done on time. No notice, no warnings, just a deadline missed. And when Jim asks about it, John barks back at him that it was another management fiasco, expecting way too much, ruining his personal life, and stressing him out, and he blurts out,
“And now Jim, you are one of THEM?”
Jim wants to apologize. He wants to roll up his sleeves and help John get it done. He wants to keep his friendship, more than anything.
What should Jim do?
Should he help? How should he hold John accountable?
What does he do about his friendship?
Please leave your comments and answers, below!
Have a great week, working passionately well, together!
