Lessons in Management

I have now been managing a team of around 40 associates for over a year. Performing this job will definitely force growth upon an individual. This year has taught me so much about how people want to be motivated. I have become so humble this year as I have continued to grow in my management style.

Yesterday I left work feeling confident in my managerial abilities. I have been with my new team for about 2 weeks and I am already seeing the affects of my leadership. This week we had associates really step out of their comfort zone to take the lead and work hard to inspire their teammates. I also was able to set up development plans for associates who want to actively work towards goals in their career. The team's performance was incredible and I felt so happy to see these results.

I truly feel that everyone needs to have their own managerial style; one that resembles who they are and what they believe. What works for me doesn't necessarily work for someone else. I have spent a lot of time evaluating my style and will never stop trying to learn new techniques that will make me a stronger manager.

Here are some guidelines I follow:

1. I believe that my team is only as strong as I encourage them to be. I set expectations regularly to allow associates to know the standards of the work that I want to have. I also follow up with them to make sure they understand.

2. I never ask someone to do a job that I cannot do myself. I make it a point to learn bits of every process so that I can always answer questions and earn the trust of my associate.

3. Humiliating someone is never the answer- I used to think that people performed better if they were embarrassed in front of their peers. This is probably because that is how I was coached in volleyball. I quickly learned that this is the biggest way to lose trust of an associate.

What I've learned recently:

1. Sometimes associates just need to talk to someone- I am constantly trying to solve everything, but sometimes associates don't need me to solve their problems. Sometimes they just want to vent.

2. Being a leader doesn't mean leading from the front- I've always been called a natural leader because of my ability to corral the troops. I am now realizing that sometimes I lead best when I allow others to take the reigns.

3. I need to take time for myself- I used to go all day without taking any breaks because I wanted to make sure I was there for my associates. A few months ago I started taking regular breaks throughout the day for food, water and breathing. I noticed that my mind works a lot better when I do this.

What I am still trying to figure out:

1. Does having composure mean never showing emotion?- I do a great job of never showing associates when I am upset. Recently a couple associates said that they want to see when I am upset because it will make them know that I care a lot about the work. Hmm?