Hey, I'm still trying to figure out how to be a good manager. I certainly make a ton of mistakes. This after 25 years of management responsibilities. Management is like playing chess. Simple rules. Simple objectives. Unlimited variations. You can understand it but it's almost impossible to master. Just when you think you've learned something, situations arise that show you how little you know.

One of the first things I realized as a young manager is that no matter what you decide to do, about half the staff will think you are right and half will criticize. If you change your mind in reaction to the criticism about half the staff will now think you've done the right thing and half will think you are an idiot. It is almost impossible to get everyone to agree with your decision. And it's a waste of time to try.

So the first rule, at least for me, is you can't please all the people all of the time. Don't even try.

Changing to meet criticism makes a manager look bad and confuses almost everyone. Staying with your original decision is usually the best thing to do. Being careful to make good decision and fighting the pressure to make quick decisions are other key elements in being a good manager. That may be the second rule. At least that's the way I see it.........
10:28:31 PM    comment []