Managing your management style
In an article that first appeared in Encore, Stephanie Brown says the advertising industry often leaves people ill-equipped when it comes to managing staff, especially when they’re promoted into management roles.
Managing people is hard. In fact, I actually think it’s the hardest job in the world. With no disrespect intended, I often joke that if my job didn’t involve other people to manage, it would be a walk in the park. I could get about my day’s work in a nice, linear fashion, happily checking off my to-do list as I go. I’m a process-orientated person. I get a kick out of getting things done.
But alas, there came a time where a fledgling suit arrived, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, ready to be taken under my wing. And was I ready? No. The advertising industry is long hours and deadlines, lots of pressure, a bit of partying, and a mentality of ‘well, I earned my stripes through the hard slog, so you should too’. No-one really teaches you how to manage other people. New account managers and account directors are thrown into the lion’s den and can only hope they make it out alive. New managers often flounder, unsure of what they should be doing to help their team.
I don’t claim that this is any sort of guru self-help, eight-steps-to-success advice. It’s just some of the things I’ve learnt along the way as I’ve worked on getting the best out of my staff and toning down my micromanaging tendencies.
The problem with a lot of manager roles – regardless of industry – is that the person who’s “been there the longest” gets the job. You have this group of 10 people who are all peers and then suddenly one poor sucker is drafted in to be the “boss”. It’s a recipe for disaster. It’s very hard to go from beers in the pub as equals to suddenly having to discipline an underperformer. The person promoted is often ill-equipped nor offered any training to be a leader, while the underlings simply resent their newfound authority. Too often it’s like a lamb to the slaughter and I’ve seen it destroy innumerable careers…
Simply put, most managers go full retard, never go full retard.
As an industry we’re hopeless at anything like this. We’re so busy looking after other businesses we don’t have time for our own. Therefore too many decisions are ad hoc and near-sighted. We all suffer as a result.
Hi Stephanie,
Thanks for the article and can fully agree with your list above.
A VERY good book for any one that manages people is Liz Wiseman’s “Multipliers”
http://www.amazon.com/dp/0061964395
One of the best I’ve ever read and helped me and others a lot.
Cheers – Horst
Nice one, Browntown!
“Browntown”??? Isn’t that a euphemism for….
Couldnt agree with you more
Hi Stephanie. Not a surprise that everyone agrees with you. Because of all the issues you raise, people end up really not enjoying the management role. That’s a shame as it has the potential to be so fulfilling seeing people working for up thriving, moving up in their career, doing things they didn’t believe they could do. There is a similarity to parenting.
Of course it’s not for everyone, it isn’t easy and it can do your head in.
And you advice is wonderful. Thanks for sharing
Richard
Hi Richard,
Agree that managing people is not for everyone. Those who it is not for will not enjoy it, or not as much. The others will be able to take those points (and probably already have) and make it their own, and will get full satisfaction out of it.