The Two Jobs you have as a Manager

The Two Jobs You Have As A Manager
You've got two jobs when you become a boss. You've got to accomplish whatever mission your organization sets out for you. And you've got to care for your people. You work for an organization that has specific rules and practices and a specific culture. Whatever you do as a boss needs to fit with them.

You can't control anyone else's behavior, but you can control your own.

Behavior is what you say and do. What you say and do are the tools you use to influence the behavior of the people who work for you. You'll do lots of things as a boss. This group concentrates on the way you spend your time with the people who work for you so that your group performs better. It turns out that there is one key behavior you need to master: “Show up a lot!”

Showing up a lot is easy for most of us, especially with the people we like. But when you show up a lot, many good things happen. You get lots of opportunities to show and tell your people what's important. That's vital if you want them to understand and act on it when you're not around. And you see your people in all kinds of situations. That gives you a better idea of their strengths and weaknesses.

Another thing, and it’s an important one too, is that there are no sure things in this boss game, so you have to play the odds. There is a book called that the Ring Lardner Principle (a 20th century writer). One of the things he said was: “The race may not always be to the swift, nor victory to the strong. But that's the way to bet.”

Sometimes we'll do everything right and have things come apart. Other times we'll do things wrong and get a good result. We're messing with people's lives, so it sure won't always be easy. Things will work out more often if you play the odds. Then, check your results and adjust.