First day as the new boss

[iggy_oi]

2ArnBands, I don’t know Sliver personally but from what I can gather from his posting history(at least what I’ve read) he’s probably the kind of person you want as a boss.

[Titan2]

Originally Posted by iggy_oi

2ArnBands, I don’t know Sliver personally but from what I can gather from his posting history(at least what I’ve read) he’s probably the kind of person you want as a boss.

We see what you are up to...butter him up and then KABLAMO!!!

UNION SHOP!!!

We are on to your little tricks jimmy hoffa lite!!

[Bunk]

Someone mentioned the word “support”. To me, that’s what it’s all about. If you support your employees, in their day-to-day work, by empowering them, thoughtfully course correcting them when they need it, helping with their career ambitions and being a human when they’re having a tough time, they will go through a wall for you.

[iggy_oi]

Originally Posted by Titan2

We see what you are up to...butter him up and then KABLAMO!!!

UNION SHOP!!!

We are on to your little tricks jimmy hoffa lite!!

Nah. My position is if I’m gonna point out the bad then I’d better acknowledge the good

[Sliver]

Originally Posted by 2ArmBands

To be honest I had you pegged as the exact opposite to your post above. I would of guessed over working your employees, paying yourself handsomely, not caring about people’s problems etc… I based this purely on how dismissive you were to other management styles and assumed you were a “my way or highway” type.

The only thing I would like to challenge about your post is this. Just because someone is driven by career/business growth doesn’t necessarily mean they need to sacrifice their work/life balance to do so. It also doesn’t mean that they are out for profits and to squeeze their employees or treat them poorly. In many cases I think people love to see themselves play a role in their coworkers growth. It might be monetary or not. Some might say that in itself is selfish but I view it as win-win.

Yes, and I don't like that. It can work well if you have a good manager, who is also a good person, who leads a life an underling would want to aspire to, but that combination of qualities within a manager coupled with a junior who both needs and wants their guidance is incredibly rare. If we normalize mentoring from every manager to every subordinate, you inevitably end up with millions of manhours of unqualified people offering bad advice to people who don't want it and won't benefit from it. Also, you're going to get situations where the underling is more qualified to offer better advice to the manager because there's no reason that a higher position in a company means you are better equipped to offer life advice.

Managers are people, too. They should be willing to grow from all the people around them and vice versa. Managers who sit in their office helping guide the lives of people under them should probably just focus on whatever work helps the core business and leave the general life counseling to trained counselors. I don't like a power dynamic where because I'm in a higher role in a company I can gather the little people and bestow my superior knowledge upon them. I can bestow corporate knowledge and offer advice in a limited capacity like anybody else, but your average boss shouldn't be giving life advice in weekly/monthly one-one-ones.

The other thing is junior level people should not be burdening their superiors with life problems to the extent possible. I mean, if you're going through a divorce, please let me know if you'd like to share as that will affect your work and you're going to need some leeway for an extended period. I'll do what I can to help one human to another, but don't submit to me the way a patient does to a psychiatrist. That's inappropriate for both of us and I'm not qualified to help you in the way you may need.

[boogerz]

Originally Posted by Sliver

Managers are people, too. They should be willing to grow from all the people around them and vice versa.

Underrated comment. It boggles my mind that most managers (anecdotal) feel that they have nothing to learn from their direct reports.

[bomber317]

One change I noticed with Covid, is that I had to make a much more concerted effort to ensure people were "ok".

With everybody being remote, we lost that face-to-face interaction. Even little things as walking to the break room to get coffee, you could get a sense of the tone of the office when you pass offices / cubicles.

Currently, I have more check-ins with my younger members, some face-to-face check ins with some members who needed that. Mostly it is to see if there's anything I can do to help with their work, sometimes they just need to rant.

Not sure if OP's office is back to fully on-prem, but something to keep a note of with your remote workers.

[Locke]

Originally Posted by keratosis

Nope. I want to be paid, fun or not.

Sent from my SM-A715W using Tapatalk

"That's what she said!"

[bomber317]

Also, lots of resource to read about leadership / successful companies / etc.

I've read the following books that helped with some aspects. There are a ton of other books out there, I'm sure others will have more suggestions.

Leadership Challenge
https://www.amazon.ca/Leadership-Cha...0-eeda4dea34d6

Good to Great
https://www.amazon.ca/Good-Great-Som...6793917&sr=8-1

[2ArmBands]

Originally Posted by Sliver

Yes, and I don't like that. It can work well if you have a good manager, who is also a good person, who leads a life an underling would want to aspire to, but that combination of qualities within a manager coupled with a junior who both needs and wants their guidance is incredibly rare. If we normalize mentoring from every manager to every subordinate, you inevitably end up with millions of manhours of unqualified people offering bad advice to people who don't want it and won't benefit from it. Also, you're going to get situations where the underling is more qualified to offer better advice to the manager because there's no reason that a higher position in a company means you are better equipped to offer life advice.

Managers are people, too. They should be willing to grow from all the people around them and vice versa. Managers who sit in their office helping guide the lives of people under them should probably just focus on whatever work helps the core business and leave the general life counseling to trained counselors. I don't like a power dynamic where because I'm in a higher role in a company I can gather the little people and bestow my superior knowledge upon them. I can bestow corporate knowledge and offer advice in a limited capacity like anybody else, but your average boss shouldn't be giving life advice in weekly/monthly one-one-ones.

The other thing is junior level people should not be burdening their superiors with life problems to the extent possible. I mean, if you're going through a divorce, please let me know if you'd like to share as that will affect your work and you're going to need some leeway for an extended period. I'll do what I can to help one human to another, but don't submit to me the way a patient does to a psychiatrist. That's inappropriate for both of us and I'm not qualified to help you in the way you may need.

I really don't understand how we have gotten to the sticking point of managers offering personal advice? I don't understand how that's implied from my statement that you bolded or any statement I have made in the past.

I don't disagree with you what so ever on that front.

When I stated that some people enjoy watching the career growth of their coworkers I 'm simply implying that owners/managers etc.. often enjoy seeing their coworkers careers develop as the business develops. This can be watching juniors or even long standing people get the opportunities they deserve. In many cases you need to grow the business to be able to offer these opportunities and in many cases it can come at risk to the owners/managers etc...

[PepsiFree]

Who knew Sliver would offer the best example of what being a good boss is in the entire thread?

Wait, I did, because any time Sliver talks about his business he sounds like someone I'd want to work for.

My advice would be to take Sliver's non-advice and emulate that in whatever way you can. The simplest way to put it is to be a human being and treat everyone else like they are equal human beings, and that their goals, responsibilities, troubles, etc, are no more or less important than your own.

The one thing I've noticed working with a lot of business owners and managers are that the truly great ones are simply part of the team, to the point where from the outside if you didn't know it already you would be hard-pressed to guess they were boss. They are the people who don't talk about being "empathetic" or "progressive" or really any positive qualities at all, unless directly questioned about it. They just live it and go on with their day. On the other side, the people that talk most often about these things are almost always #######s who seem to have trouble living them, as though they're just trying to speak that reality into existence.

[Sliver]

Originally Posted by 2ArmBands

I really don't understand how we have gotten to the sticking point of managers offering personal advice? I don't understand how that's implied from my statement that you bolded or any statement I have made in the past.

I don't disagree with you what so ever on that front.

When I stated that some people enjoy watching the career growth of their coworkers I 'm simply implying that owners/managers etc.. often enjoy seeing their coworkers careers develop as the business develops. This can be watching juniors or even long standing people get the opportunities they deserve. In many cases you need to grow the business to be able to offer these opportunities and in many cases it can come at risk to the owners/managers etc...

Passively watching people succeed and getting enjoyment out of that sounds great. No argument here.

[Vinny01]

I moved from a position as Sales Rep in the Calgary Branch to Regional Sales Manager for the country a little more than 3 years ago. One thing I can’t recommend enough is how much people appreciate recognition and hearing that they are doing a good job. If it is a high stress, results driven environment we don’t always take enough time to enjoy the wins but doing that fuels the team and motivates them to chase more

[GirlySports]

You guys are somewhat confusing middle management and ownership. Middle management is just that, in the middle. And I believe the OP is going into middle management. You have to balance culture from the top and from the bottom. You are the bottom of the executive team and the top of your own team. I'd love to do what Sliver does but I'm not allowed to. Like I can't send anyone home. Only the VP can send everyone home early. Everything is scrutinized.

[PepsiFree]

Originally Posted by GirlySports

You guys are somewhat confusing middle management and ownership. Middle management is just that, in the middle. And I believe the OP is going into middle management. You have to balance culture from the top and from the bottom. You are the bottom of the executive team and the top of your own team. I'd love to do what Sliver does but I'm not allowed to. Like I can't send anyone home. Only the VP can send everyone home early. Everything is scrutinized.

It's not about replicating the same actions. You're not a good manager just because you send people home early. It's about adopting the same mindset and approach in a way that fits your situation.

No middle manager is forced to be any such way. Just as a business owner manages the demands and requirements of running a business, which can vary greatly depending on the industry, a middle manager manages the demands and requirements of those they report to.

It's no more difficult to be a great middle manager than it is to be a great business owner. How you approach it is everything, and how you approach is a choice.

[GirlySports]

Originally Posted by PepsiFree

It's not about replicating the same actions. You're not a good manager just because you send people home early. It's about adopting the same mindset and approach in a way that fits your situation.

No middle manager is forced to be any such way. Just as a business owner manages the demands and requirements of running a business, which can vary greatly depending on the industry, a middle manager manages the demands and requirements of those they report to.

It's no more difficult to be a great middle manager than it is to be a great business owner. How you approach it is everything, and how you approach is a choice.

Yes. I used the sending people home early as an example. but middle managers depending on where they work, are more handcuffed than you think.

[Locke]

Here is a question...

Did you get to execute the Old Boss in front of the staff as a show of force?

If not, I'd be bringing that issue up with HR.

It seems like they're setting you up to fail.

[undercoverbrother]

Originally Posted by Locke

Here is a question...

Did you get to execute the Old Boss in front of the staff as a show of force?

If not, I'd be bringing that issue up with HR.

It seems like they're setting you up to fail.

Pssst the best thing you can do as a manager is not involve HR..........

[Locke]

Originally Posted by undercoverbrother

Pssst the best thing you can do as a manager is not involve HR..........

My HR department largely only has to resolve issues between myself and that other jerk.

And this office has far too many mirrors!!

[Buff]

Take Leadership training. The Banff Center used to offer great leadership courses and I don't know where you can find anything like them, but those courses were transformational.

Try to find something that is like a week long getaway. Not something you can quickly take in two 4 hour sessions at a post-secondary institution in your area... those are helpful too, but what the Peter Lougheed Leadership Institute put on at Banff Center.. that was amazing. Really helped me to shape my role as a leader and just change me as a person. I went into a week long course designed to make you feel vulnerable and I came out with new found confidence and perspectives on who I was and what I wanted to work on in my life.