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Subject:Re: New Manager Needs Help! From:David Girardot <dmgirard -at- CORNETLTD -dot- COM> Date:Thu, 29 Jan 1998 15:28:05 -0500
JGREY <JGREY -at- MADE2MANAGE -dot- COM> wrote:
>Regardless of this woman's tenure, experience, and stature, *you* were
>appointed manager. With the position goes rights and priveleges. One
>of those is to be treated with respect by your subordinates; the three
>incidents you mention show she isn't treating you with respect.
I can't say I agree with that part about respect being a "right". It might
be assumed to be so in your average corporate hierarchy but the fact is, in
real day-to-day dealings respect has to be earned and kept. The better
managers are the ones who earn the respect of their underlings. As a
manager, particularly in this industry, I think you are better off being a
coach than a king.
So if you need to earn some respect I don't think JGREY's suggestion would
help. Turning this into a battle isn't going to earn any respect. If this
employee is at all valuable, I think you'll achieve more by using some of
the dialogue methods already mentioned.
In your dialogue you want to find out how the employee feels about your
status. You also want to make her understand what her responsibilities are,
and also what _your_ responsibilities are. If you can avoid confrontation
and get the employee talking, I think there's a good chance of resolving the
issue.
Also, another thing to consider: have you been sending out the right
signals? I knew a manager who did a great job of keeping on top of things;
he didn't "have his fingers in every pie" but he did talk to his people
regularly, get a status, and make decisions about project priority,
resources and so forth. He took initiative as a manager. The down side of
this can be micro-management, but I guess there's a down side to everything.
I'd replay the events you mentioned in your mind, analyzing if appropriate
how you might have been able to change things by taking more initiative.
Let me say that I DON'T mean: "Figure out how it was really your fault all
along." I don't beleive that. But maybe those episodes can give some clues
as to how to send out better "Manager signals" in the future.
