During a recent talk with a University of Utah VP I lamented that criticism weighs heavily on me at times. The Veep smiled and even laughed softly. He said something like, "Hey, you don't hear people going around saying what a great job I'm doing, do you?" I got his point. Part of management is coping with criticism. Well, maybe the majority of management is being criticized.

I was also recently reminded by a friend, a management type, of just how much management and parenting have in common. That also makes sense. Mike Vance says that a superlative manager and a superlative mother share the same skill set. And the bottom line for both is that neither the mother nor the manager is overly worried about being liked by those for whom they are responsibility.

Sure, it's always fun to be liked. And not being liked is, well, not as much fun. I've seen too many children ruined by over-indulgent parents who are working very hard to be liked. Being liked is the wrong motivation for any parent. And, truthfully, it's the wrong motivation for a manager. Management is difficult. And it is, more often than not, done poorly. How else can you explain Dilbert or the fact that Scott Adams is so filthy rich.

There are rewards to parenthood and management. But if you are a manager, don't expect a lot of praise. You'll have to take your rewards in more subtle ways. There won't be much in the way of overt recognition. And get used to the idea of not being liked. Maybe the goal is to make sure you are unliked.........
1:27:13 PM    comment []