How to Become a Better Manager
On a couple of different occasions I’ve mentioned that when I first became a manager, there was a learning curve that I needed to master, before becoming somewhat efficient at at. I’ve decided to give some more key pointers that help you become a better manager
1: Go to other’s offices for meetings
When you have your own office you want to use it, but it’s sometimes easier to have meetings in other people’s offices. For one I found this makes you appear more accessible, and second I found it’s easier to get out of someone’s office than to get others out of yours.
2: Meet with users, clients, or customers
Make sure you keep in touch with every aspect of your job and have constant communications with all important parties. I know this seems like a tall order and adding extra things in your already packed schedule. Though keeping contact with users, vendors and employees lets them know that you are on top of things and keeps you in the loop.
3: Use praise
During meetings make sure you give praise where praise it due. Make sure that you praise employee’s who are doing better than expected. Also praise vendors who don’t waste your time or your money.
4: Use a smart phone in a smart way
I think we’ve all run into times where we’ve had a brilliant idea or plan and forgotten to write it down. I’ve had ideas on how to improve a process or upgrade a user experience and completely forget an hour later. Use the memo or recorded notes option on your phone to capture brilliant thoughts.
5: Relax
I’ve made the bad mistake of getting so wrapped up in my work that I lost all sense of up or down. I’m not sure if many management books would tell you this, but I find it important to remember that it’s just a job. It’s important to get everything done and be as productive as possible, but in the end it is a job and you need to relax. I’ve found that relaxing has actually helped in the job, because I was able to break away and look with fresh eyes from a new angle.