Posted: 8/3/2015 5:14:32 AM EDT
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Hello gents & ladies,
I'm excited to let you guys know that while I haven't been present for AZHTF events and other local activities/shoots lately, it hasn't all been for nothing. I'm friends with enough of you that I wanted to check in to say Hi  but also ask for your help.
About a week ago I was promoted and since then I have been blessed with a team of several motivated and qualified guys that I am now managing. Having been a specialist in this field, but never a leader in a professional setting, the promotion was intimidating and I was a bit anxious. Being thrown into the midst of a catastrophe type situation and asked to successfully accomplish our mission had the potential to be disasterous but it has been going great. I have a family to look out for now so there wasn't any question about whether I'd step up. Some of you guys have been in management for a while, or have insight from your professional situations. What might you share to a guy in my position? Thank you and I hope to see you all soon. ~Obsolete |
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A few thoughts on being a good manager.
Be honest with your people. If they feel your are honest and trustworthy they are more likely to respect you and return the favor. You don't need to be best buds with them, respect is much more valuable in the workplace and it goes both ways. Learn to communicate effectively and in a timely fashion. Never assume they know what is needed/expected spell it out clearly from the start. Take a genuine interest in their career goals and give them the opportunity to grow in responsibility. Learn their strengths and weaknesses. Play to their strength and coach on the weakness. Praise for a job well done goes a long way, don't miss these opportunities. Likewise failures should be discussed with an emphasis on understanding how the failure happened and preventing a repeat, assigning blame is usually counter productive. A good employee will recognize his failure and look to improve. Your goal is to point them in the right direction and follow up on their progress. There is a lot more to it but if you can master the above you'll do well. |
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I spent 20 years as a supervisor in law enforcement.
First, congrats and condlances on the promotion. Before you were management your problems were yours. Now that you've become the top dog, everybodys problems are yours! 
Rich_V's comments are spot on, a majority of success comes from interaction with those you supervise, communication is key. Well defined goals and objectives are a must, not only are you expected to clearly outline their responsibilities, but you must also let them know what your responsibilities are. Be honest with your workers, don't be afraid to be truthfull even when it may be uncomfortable for you to do so. I've seen more than one supervisor lose the faith of those he worked over because he was afraid to deal with situations and would rather ignore/minimize them. You are NOT their friends! You are their boss, sorry but it is a trap to think otherwise. Failure to keep work and social seperate will cause problems beyond end, it doesn't mean you can't be friendly or interact outside work with them, but it's a real tightrope. Fair, firm, and consistent. Treat them all as a team, no favoritisim. Your rules/orders are the way it is, they can question and offer suggestions, but the bottom line is YOU decide. Same way every day, consistency is a friend. YOU are the example rather than the exception! Show what's expected by leadership. |
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Rich pretty much covered it.
Only thing I would add... I've seen managers unwilling to properly discipline employees because 'they have families, how are they going to feed their kids?'. Don't forget, you have a family too. If one of your subordinates isn't pulling their own weight for whatever reason, don't be afraid to act appropriately, no matter what their life situation is. Someone who is not performing and 'getting away with it' in the eyes of the other employees will only hurt morale and bring down the performance of the entire team. EVERYONE pulls their weight, it's your responsibility to make clear to everyone what that 'weight' is and how much of it each is expected to pull. |
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Be as quick to recognize as you are to criticize.
Follow up is critical. If you don't follow through on a commitment to to a subordinate, even a small one, you start to lose a little credibility. (This is where I stumble sometimes) They're responsible for their own improvement, but you must provide the resources. Feedback, feedback, feedback. Your friendship WILL be taken advantage of, so keep a healthy distance. CONGRATULATIONS!! |