Making a Manager

I've recently been reading Julie Zhuo's bestseller, ‘The Making of a Manager: What To Do When Everybody Looks To You’ .

The book outlines Julie’s personal experiences of being promoted to the Manager of a small design team at Facebook, after relatively little experience in the field. She was told that because she ‘got along with everybody’ she would be an ideal fit. But with every new challenge comes growing pains. The result is a highly valuable handbook with everything you need to know as a new Manager, an experienced Manager looking to improve, or anyone who works as part of a team.

Julie discusses the key pieces of advice that she wishes she received when starting out. I have lead many teams in the past and it is always an experience of trial and error. Many people tell you that you can never be taught what a good Manager looks like, instead, you have to learn for yourself. Julie succeeds in breaking down exactly what a strong Manager looks like.

Feedback.

In a study shared in the Harvard Business Review, 72% of employees said they thought their performance would improve if their Managers would provide corrective feedback. Employees need to know how they can be better, improve their skill set and develop in their chosen fields. Giving them a pat on the back and saying well done just won’t cut it. Insightful, detailed feedback shows your employees that you are paying attention. Moreover, consistent feedback from employees makes a Manager a better leader.

Managing Yourself.

As a new Manager, you do not need to have all the answers. But being self aware is hugely important. Every interaction can be a learning moment. It is important to take time out of your day and do a mental post-mortem of each interaction you had. Did you make somebody feel heard in that meeting? Did you facilitate an open discussion about an urgent issue? Were you empathetic to your new employee? Did you ask the right questions? Taking time out of your schedule to solicit feedback, and then leading by example can be a key component in being a successful leader.

Care Sincerely About People.

Getting along with your team is not enough. You need to truly care about what is happening in people’s lives and understand that some personal challenges can ultimately affect performance. If somebody is having an off day, do not simply close your door and hope for the best, sit with them. Ask them what is happening, how they feel , how do they think they can change the situation? Have an honest conversation about life. Seldom done in business. If you can empathize sincerely with your team and recognize that they are going through struggles behind the scene, trust can be established. You will be viewed as much more than a Manager, you will be viewed as a coach and leader.

Have Productive Meetings.

If you want more productive meetings, science says you should keep them small and short. Jeff Bezos has a two pizza rule, that I find extremely helpful. If you cannot feed your meeting attendees with two pizzas, then the meeting is too large. You will also run the risk of having an overwhelming amount of information to hand. Studies show that too much data from too many people can be disabling. In fact, the widespread adoption of group brainstorming sessions and committee-based decisions is in direct contradiction to scientific evidence that has found that many people come up with stronger, better ideas on their own versus a group setting.

Timing is Everything.

Try and target meeting scheduling at a time that occurs after employees have had a chance to be productive. Many meetings are penciled in for Monday morning. Behavioral scientist Dan Ariely says we have a two-hour window when we’re most productive—and it’s first thing in the morning. Conducting morning catch-ups right, smack in the middle of the most productive time for a person is not efficient. The majority of people will likely be thinking about the laundry list of things that they have to get started on, rather than giving undivided attention to the Manager. Meetings scheduled at the end of the day, find people more relaxed, have more time available and willing to share ideas.