An employee’s perspective on what is it like to work for a great manager

July 15, 2022

In the last edition of The Top newsletter, we brought light to the difference between a good and a great manager. As you can see, it is largely a question of the degree of certain behaviors that great managers go to.

Largely, the impact of working for a good or great manager is extremely rewarding. Being a good or a great manager to your team members is not about making them happy by being soft on them. It is also not about compromising on performance. Instead, it is much deeper than that. It is about the experiences you give to your team members daily that make you a good manager to them. These experiences are like signals that anyone can feel and perceive. Not an exhaustive list, but this is what it looks like:

Employees feel appreciated, valued, and respected
They might feel like they can be themselves and let their work speak for them
They might feel like their work is essential and that the manager cares about their success
There is a feeling of calmness, order, and productivity in the workplace

What do managers do that make employees feel like this? Is there anything they consciously don’t do also? Yes, a lot. Here is an employee’s perspective on working for a good or great manager.

Often, managers think that likeability, i.e. how much will their team like them, is the key to success as a manager. There is some truth to it. People are generally more likely to respect, trust, and work with someone they like. And as we all know, people are usually more likely to be successful when they have positive relationships with those around them. In essence, if your team likes you as a manager, you are more likely to succeed in your role. And so will your team.

Likeability is a quality that is difficult to define but easy to spot. It is intangible, but it has a significant impact on success. So what is likeability? Likeability is simply the ability to make others feel good about themselves. You do this by being positive, friendly, and interested in others. To be likable, you need to be genuine. You can’t pretend to be someone you’re not. People can see through fake personalities, and they won’t like you if you try to be someone you’re not. Be yourself, and people will appreciate that.

The success of a manager is often measured in their ability to keep their teams productive and stick around. Managers who struggle to keep their teams productive and tight-knit, often think about what is blocking them. To answer that you need to go deeper into what causes an employee to be unproductive or quit the company. You will notice that there is a lot that can be controlled by the manager themselves.

There are a few common mistakes that managers make in their journey of people management. These mistakes often result from a lack of understanding of the nuances of people management or blind spots that managers have. Two-thirds of employees feel that their bosses lack proper managerial training as per one research.

There are 8 proven manager mistakes that can make the team members quit their job. Read here to know more.

Bonus read: Top 11 Reasons Why Humble Leaders Are More Successful.

To conclude, a good manager knows how to motivate and lead his team in the right direction. They also set reasonable expectations and behave professionally. They have the unique ability to see the potential in their team and use this to their advantage. On the other hand, a bad manager can be toxic and destructive, leading to low morale and a lack of productivity on an organizational level. It is a journey that is arduous yet rewarding.

The week in Social Media

This post by Prabir Jha gives a beautiful analogy on the same topic.