Manager Appreciation: Catch Your Boss Doing Something Right
Mar 22, 2015
At MasterCard we are committed to creating a fantastic place to work where managers understand that a crucial part of their job is to create environments where people can be hugely successful. One piece of reinforcement is our monthly "Managers Matter" newsletter, in which every month I write a short article about, well, about managers. Here's an edited version of a post from 2014 suggesting that our own managers would welcome some appreciation..
My blogs and articles are usually somehow pushing managers to think about how they can create a great environment for their people, one where they can be more successful than they may even recognize is possible. This is really the work – great managers create great environments – and it requires constant thought, attention and focus. In many ways it's the most rewarding part of managing others, but you and I both know it's not easy.
Not only is it not easy to be a great manager, but managing can be thankless work. Being a great manager is often under-appreciated and maybe even taken for granted – because when you get it right, it looks easy. When we think about our own managers, the people we work for, we can usually easily see the flaws in them because they impact so directly on us and our work; we tend conversely to assume that the good things they do are natural, or expected, or have taken little effort. It is painfully obvious what your own boss is not good at – and you wish that they would figure it out and improve – but we assume that all the things they do well are just part of their make-up. With unconscious managers of course, this would be true. But in most cases it is not so – as managers ourselves we know how much active and deliberate effort is needed to manage others, and we understand that sometimes we get it more right than other times.
It is so complex to lead people in the ways that create maximum impact; you cannot always do it well. The human being is not flawless. And our expectations of our managers are not always matched by their capability to lead us; in fact, they are usually not matched, unless your manager is exceptional. But exceptional or not, there is a good chance that your manager wants to do a good job and wants to create an environment where you can be successful; you know that this is not an easy thing, so help them out and give them some encouragement.
Here's how: think about something you appreciate about your manager – at least sometimes – and try to find time this week to let her know what you like about her management style – it might be a small thing, or a big thing, but in any event, everyone needs appreciation, even those whose jobs it is to be appreciative of others. Find a chance to let them know that the effort they make is not taken for granted, and maybe even encourage them to do more of the great stuff that works.
Catch your manager doing something right, and tell her that it’s appreciated.
Source: LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/manager-appreciation-catch-your-boss-doing-something-right-deacon