There is no perfect business manager.
Although we have all likely had one that we have admired greatly.
And perhaps we have also had one or two that we didn’t think fondly of…
One of the key lessons with business management or being a boss is understanding that it’s not about controlling your employees. It can seem that way. After all, you’re the boss. They’re the employee. Shouldn’t they listen to what you say and do what you tell them?
In a way, yes, but there is much more nuance to it…
Support, Not Control
For some people, it’s a struggle to deal with control. If there was something that occurred early in life, it’s easy to understand why someone would want to have more control later in life.
Ultimately, people want autonomy. They don’t want to be controlled. In a working relationship, it’s understood that there is a job and there is payment. There is give and take by both parties in how the job should be accomplished and all kinds of things.
I find that a good way to think about the relationship is that, as the boss, you’re there to support those on your team. You’re not there to control their every move. You’re not there to do everything for them.
In those situations there is usually a lack of efficiency and effectiveness. Things rarely get done. Things rarely scale. People are rarely fulfilled and feel stifled.
What is support in a working relationship?
It’s about laying out the expectations for the job and the performance. Timelines are usually involved. Quality is usually involved. Values and standards. And much more. It’s about being clear in expectations, which seems obvious, but isn’t always the case.
It’s about providing what the employee feels they need whether that is a tool or space or teammate or whatever. If you feel it’s a reasonable request, it’s up to you to provide the support.
Support is also about understanding the individual and it’s worth getting into more detail on this one…
Learning Each Person
One of the traps in business is hiring people that are just like yourself. That can feel like a good thing. It can seem more efficient. But often this leads to a stagnant working environment.
As the leader, it’s your job to understand each person on your team as best you can. Listening to them. Learning their emotions, their background, their values and what they want from their lives.
You’ll often have people on your team that are different than you. They respond differently to certain situations. They may perform tasks in a different way than what has always been done. It’s good to have these folks on your team. But the trick is that working with them won’t come naturally to you. But it’s your job to be there to support them.
Final Thoughts
Ultimately, most people want to do good work. And you want their best performance. As the leader, it’s your job to be flexible, open and willing to support each person on your team. Obviously there will be people that require more effort than they provide value in return. But with a little more effort than usual you can work with just about anybody that comes to your team.
Work is about more than controlling each person. It’s about supporting them in their desire to do good work.