Remodelers Advantage: Most people in a management position think they are a great manager. Not just good — great!
The unfortunate truth is that most managers are far from great.
It’s the rare individual that can look at themselves and see their shortcomings.
6 comments:
I agree with this article immensely. Having had experience both as a manager and as a tech under bad management I can see the light of situations more easily having been mentored and coached in a way to do so. I believe that the stage manager is the main resource to the crew and if the crew is acting out of sorts then it traces back to the manager because that role carries the prime role of leadership. Also, I really like how the article incorporated the piece about the difference between Delegating tasks and delegating responsibilities. Saying “You go mop the floor” and saying “Can you please be in charge of keeping this space clean?” have two completely different vibes coming from them and will get two opposite reactions out of your crewmembers. Moving forward I will be sure to take into account what works and what doesn’t work in order for tasks to be completed responsibly.
This article is short, and fairly straight forward in an unapologetic manor, but it is also incredibly accurate. The thing about management is that it is necessary in whatever field you work in. Even if you are not a manager, you need to have good management skills in order to more effectively work for a manager, and in order to handle the responsibilities that your manager has trusted you with. I have had experiences where I have recognized that I was being an incredibly poor manager, and I have tried to grow and learn from that, and the more I do so, the more I recognize the value in management. When the manager is good, everyone gets along better, and everything gets done more efficiently.
I love how articles like these seem so simple and common-sensical when we read them, yet there are so many examples of real-world managers/leaders falling victim to these pitfalls when confronted with the pressures of the task and even ego issues. Certainly I can't help but think about managers I've worked under who've delegated tasks instead of responsibility, making me feel undervalued and underutilized, but I also want to think about these principles as I head into my first foray as a director this Playground. I especially love that this article emphasizes empowering those working under the manager. It's also a wake-up call for managers to step up and take responsibility for the success of the team, without being a control freak. Good management is about trusting the people under you can learn to do the job well--granted, with the proper guidance and confidence from the manager. At the same time, when things go wrong, the manager has to keep it together so that the rest of the team doesn't feel like they can't take risks (i.e. innovate) in their work, since openness to failure is often the pathway to finding a better success. There's an awful lot of pressure on the manager in question, but good management is essential to the success of any team.
I have been in a few managerial positions and I definitely think I have fallen victim to some of the signs that are mentioned in this article but I didn't realize what I was doing wrong. It is vital to be a leader not a boss when in charge of a group and I focus on that a lot when I'm in that position, but these six signs are also six pieces of advice. The ones that stood out to me were the ones regarding patience and positive reinforcement since those are things I might not always do. When I go into a future job as a manager I will make an effort to follow the advice of this article
The one bullet that really stood out to me (and there were many) was delegating tasks instead of responsibilities. As managers, I think we get caught up in doing everything ourselves, which is obviously a negative thing to do. It all boils down to trust. If you trust people and then they, in turn, feel that they can trust you, then you've established a good connection and using that connection to help you manage basically anything is critical. Never telling people "Good Job" was one section I would have never considered if I made of list of 'bad manager traits'. As humans, I feel that we subconsciously look for praise when we do our job. Telling someone that they did a good job isn't just remarking on their work, it's saying that you took the time to evaluate the work and that person's skill set. In essence, you're complementing their effort and practice. And that's always nice.
During my time managing my high school stage crew I definitely fell victim to some of these signs. I remember one situation this past year when I was under a great deal of stress in the middle of a show and I shouted at my prop master for not keeping a closer watch on her props, and I remember how much I regretted it afterwards, even when I had apologized to her for losing my cool. I've gotten better at handling pressure-filled situations and managing my own stresses during the runs of a show, especially after that incident, but it is always an important thing to keep in mind. Another point that stood out to me was the sixth one, especially the mention of how bad managers want people to think that they're superhuman. I know that I have both been this person and worked with people who were this person, and it is not only exhausting to work with people like this but it is exhausting to try to be this person, because managers are imperfect and there's always going to be times when you don't know something or you haven't explained something clearly enough or that there's a better way to do it that someone else has thought of before you have. This article is full of really important advice for managers and I think anyone who is faced with managing a show or a team at some point in their career should make an effort to follow these tips. I know I definitely will.
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