Debster Posted June 2, 2005 Share Posted June 2, 2005 I'm interviewing for a position where there is a management / mentoring component and I wanted to hear your management/mentoring tips and what you like and don't like about managers. Link to post Share on other sites
MWC_LifeBeginsAt40 Posted June 2, 2005 Share Posted June 2, 2005 I was asked to do some mentoring to others and found this website with 101 coaching tips: http://www.thiagi.com/email-coach101-tips.html Personally I like to have a manager who is approachable above all. I feel that intimidation tactics backfire. Link to post Share on other sites
blind_otter Posted June 2, 2005 Share Posted June 2, 2005 Someone who is organized and doesn't feel the need to micromanage (which results in them neglecting their own duties). Like my boss. Who has spent the last 2 hours re-organizing her business cards Also someone with an even temper. Who is personable. You know, lead by example kind of thing. Link to post Share on other sites
alphamale Posted June 2, 2005 Share Posted June 2, 2005 a good manager is knowledgeable about his/her field or area, good with people, well rounded, even tempered and knows when an employee needs less or more supervision. they are also fair and don't play favourites. but a good mgr is also tough and expects employees to produce. and a good mgr also sets boundaries which are flexible when needed. oh and they also know about human nature and how to motivate Link to post Share on other sites
jellybean Posted June 2, 2005 Share Posted June 2, 2005 Originally posted by alphamale oh and they also know about human nature and how to motivate Ah yes, ...*in a perfect world*.... Geez, I had some bad experiences with mangers during my lengthy career in the telecommunications industry.....WHERE do they find these people? It must have gone down something like this : Interviewer - "Do you have good people skills?" Applicant - "No, never have." Interviewer - "Great!...you're hired!!! Welcome to the management team. That's the way it seemed Link to post Share on other sites
alphamale Posted June 2, 2005 Share Posted June 2, 2005 Originally posted by jellybean Ah yes, ...*in a perfect world*.... Geez, I had some bad experiences with mangers during my lengthy career in the telecommunications industry.....WHERE do they find these people? were these large companies JELLYBEAN? i have worked at Fortune 500 companies almost exclusively and i'd estimate 80% of managers are fairly good, at least the ones i've seen. its all about the education and large companies pretty much only hire college grads. makes a big difference. Link to post Share on other sites
blind_otter Posted June 2, 2005 Share Posted June 2, 2005 Education has nothing to do with people skills. My boss is highly educated. Overly educated, really, at prestigious european institutions. She is the worst f***ing boss I've ever had. It's like her brain is completely disconnected from her body. Actually, now that I think about it, all the highly educated faculty members with Masters and PhDs pretty much suck in my department - they are disorganized, they miss deadlines, they are pre-occupied with "theory and design" and they fail to communicate their needs consistently. They rely on their peons to think about the administrative responsibilities. They let their email inboxes get so full they can't accept emails any more. They never check their voicemail. They ignore memos. So. Ya know. Link to post Share on other sites
alphamale Posted June 2, 2005 Share Posted June 2, 2005 Originally posted by blind_otter Education has nothing to do with people skills. bullshyt it doesn't My boss is highly educated. Overly educated, really, at prestigious european institutions. She is the worst f***ing boss I've ever had. It's like her brain is completely disconnected from her body. Does she have an MBA with concerntration in Mgmt? Or does she have a PhD in English? Actually, now that I think about it, all the highly educated faculty members with Masters and PhDs pretty much suck in my department - they are disorganized, they miss deadlines, they are pre-occupied with "theory and design" and they fail to communicate their needs consistently. "They" are moronic overly educated and nerdy acedemicians who have no people skills. In the business world we rely on people with business degreees and appropriate experience. Academia is full of shyt and incompetent people who cannot make it in the real dog-eat-dog world. Link to post Share on other sites
HokeyReligions Posted June 2, 2005 Share Posted June 2, 2005 Originally posted by blind_otter they are disorganized, they miss deadlines, they are pre-occupied with "theory and design" and they fail to communicate their needs consistently. They rely on their peons to think about the administrative responsibilities. They let their email inboxes get so full they can't accept emails any more. They never check their voicemail. They ignore memos. I've been accused of similar things, but here is how I see it (from a management POV) I am paid to contribute and make decisions and delegate to others. If person "M" (Manager) is paid $55/hr and person "S" (Secretary) is paid $15/hr then person "M" does not need to spend their time organizing business cards or filing emails---that is not what they are getting paid for. On the other hand, person "S" IS being paid for doing that so that is what they should do. It is their job to support person "M" so that persom "M" can generate or save revenue for the company. Person "S" is seldom in a position that has a direct impact on making decisions that can impact the bottom line. On the surface it looks like I might not take care of my job, but I am---by delegating to others what they get paid to do and doing what I get paid to do. I also am not above washing dishes, filing, or answering phones -- I work in a small company where everyone pitches in, but we also have regular responsibilities according to our level. As for being a manager and mentoring: Listen to others, especially when you go in new. You can learn a lot from your subordinates. Be open to listen to them and don't be afraid to direct them or ask them if they need help or to give you a status report on a project---you need to know so that you can report back to your own boss when asked. I usually delegate by asking what they are working on currently and saying something like "I need your help with this", or "would you do this by tomorrow" instead of another manager who is more abrupt and just says "get this done by tomorrow" or "Do this now". I generally get a better response! Link to post Share on other sites
alphamale Posted June 2, 2005 Share Posted June 2, 2005 Originally posted by HokeyReligions If person "M" (Manager) is paid $55/hr and person "S" (Secretary) is paid $15/hr then person "M" does not need to spend their time organizing business cards or filing emails---that is not what they are getting paid for. On the other hand, person "S" IS being paid for doing that so that is what they should do. It is their job to support person "M" so that persom "M" can generate or save revenue for the company. Person "S" is seldom in a position that has a direct impact on making decisions that can impact the bottom line. I agree HOKEY...but what happens when person "M" is banging person "S"? Link to post Share on other sites
moimeme Posted June 3, 2005 Share Posted June 3, 2005 were these large companies JELLYBEAN? i have worked at Fortune 500 companies almost exclusively and i'd estimate 80% of managers are fairly good, at least the ones i've seen. its all about the education and large companies pretty much only hire college grads. makes a big difference. Oh here we go again with the Fortune 500 companies. I worked at a branch of the largest company in the world and their management was terrible. There's a website someplace where employees rate their workplaces and this organization ranked terribly. People skills are NOT a function of education. You have them or you don't whether or not you have a degree. Unfortunately, people who have zero people skills still get promoted into positions where they have to manage people. And if you send them on courses to learn how to manage, they learn nothing and continue in their lousy ways. Some organizations have gotten smarter and have implemented 360 degree reviews. IBM is an organization that has done so for years. So whether or not it's a 'Fortune 500' company, if you can, aim for one of the companies on a Best Places to Work list (Fortune magazine has one of the more well-known lists). There you might have a chance of encountering managers who have some sort of clue about dealing with people. Link to post Share on other sites
alphamale Posted June 3, 2005 Share Posted June 3, 2005 Originally posted by moimeme People skills are NOT a function of education. You have them or you don't whether or not you have a degree. people skills are partly innate and partly learned. geneticx and environment. college is a good place to learn people skills and mgmt classes are a good place to learn mgmt skills. Link to post Share on other sites
johan Posted June 3, 2005 Share Posted June 3, 2005 Personable. Organized. Lead by example. Etc. Consistent. Fair. Adapts management style to the needs of each team member. Some need more direction. Some can be given an objective and then allowed to find the best way to achieve it. Solicit opinions and input from the team. Understand what it takes for them to get their jobs done. Never take personal credit for anything the team does. Keep in mind that they don't work for you, you work for them (if they are professionals). Never criticize them in front of others. Don't accept criticism of them from others, even if you agree with it. Delegate the things you can't get done evenly among them, and never let them catch you slacking off. No double-standards. Get your hands dirty whenever you can. The goal is to get the job done, not just get them to do it all. Let them help you plan. Ask them when they can get things done, don't just dictate deadlines. Trust them and let them screw up or succeed on their own. If they screw up, help them plan a way to fix it. Take responsibility for not supporting them. Hold them accountable for things they should have done better. If they succeed, make sure they get credit. If you can't afford to let them screw up, then plan with them and evaluate their ability to understand what it will take to succeed. Offer advice based on your own experience, don't just make them do it your way or dictate approach. Don't compete with them if they are technically stronger than you. It's bound to happen. These things build loyalty and respect, and then you have a team who will push themselves when it counts. Link to post Share on other sites
moimeme Posted June 3, 2005 Share Posted June 3, 2005 Basically, manage as you would wish to be managed. Link to post Share on other sites
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