Managers have one job - and it’s not putting out fires!
What is the one job that a manager should be doing?
I had an interesting conversation with a really experienced colleague recently when we were debating one of life’s mysteries… I asked him why he thought that so many organisations struggle with managing change? He looked a bit surprised and said to me - it’s quite simple:
Managers have one job and most of them do it badly.
I was slightly taken aback as I’m sure most managers think they have several really important jobs to do and that they are pretty good at most of them. So I asked him to explain more. His view was that the manager’s job is not to be fire-fighting, being the hero and interfering with everyday tasks. He gave me a few examples of what he meant.
If you are the manager of a hospital, you don’t need to check that a nurse knows how to administer drugs or give an injection
If you are the manager of a factory, you don’t need to check up that your people know how to operate the machines
If you are a sales manager you don’t need to sit on the shoulder of your sales team - they know how to close the deal
And it’s certainly not the manager’s job to run reports and fill out spreadsheets...
So, if it’s none of those things what should a manager be doing?
His view is that managers have one job and that job is to manage change.
Their job is to improve the way the company works, grow it into new areas, and keep up with and overtake the competitors - basically to keep changing things for the better. That’s where managers add value - or should do!
That sounds simple enough, and when I thought about it I realised that there are really quite a few elements to managing change. As well as the technical/structural/marketing changes you are making, are you remembering to take the people with you?
If you are a manager ask yourself these 5 questions:
Do you know what change is planned and how it will impact your team?
Do you keep your team informed and listen to their concerns?
Do you know how to coach your team through change?
Do you make time to think long term?
Is “managing change” even in your objectives?
Whether or not you agree with my colleague that a manager’s ‘one job’ is to manage change, I’m sure you’ll agree that most managers could be better at helping their people deal with the challenges of change that face us all every day.
Please do get in touch if you want to be a better manager and learn some new skills to manage change - [email protected]
