To think most managers don’t actually know what good management is?

[FirmMauveLeader]

I’ve had my fair share of managers over the years, and honestly, it feels like a lot of them just wing it. Some micromanage every little thing, some disappear entirely, and others seem to think “good vibes” are a substitute for actual leadership.

In your experience, what actually makes a good manager? Is it about being approachable? Setting clear expectations? Just staying out of the way?

Or am I being unfair and most managers do know what they’re doing?

Most managers don't know what they're doing. That's because few organisations have a plan to help them learn. Things a good manager should do for those who report to them: ask them how they like to be managed; create trust; be a champion for them; prioritise the development of the people they manage and give them opportunities to lead projects that increase their visibility; give constant and timely feedback on what's been done well and what needs improving; have conversations about their development and proactively secure learning and development opportunities for them, including coaching by the line manager.

I remember being told by a very good manager that half the battle in working life is learning how to manage your own manager… whatever type they are…

this worked for me when I was managed … seeing what type they were and acting accordingly..

managers are horses for courses as in different types of workers exist and they respond to different manager types and it’s about getting the right fit… or adapting to each other.

now I am a manager I know that some of my team think I am great … because my management style suits them and others do not think I am great… because we clash on style. I actually work hardest with the people who I have different styles with

My DH is a manager, its a role he was forced into from his preferred technical role he now spends his time supervising a global team to do things he could probably do himself in much less time.

Being knowledgeable about what the company does, or with technical skills, does not make you a good people manager. Also a lot of managers are not given the time for people management.

I think I have had 20 or so managers during my working career, and there has been a great contrast.

agree with this. often managers are people who are good at a specific job - they're then promoted into a different job supervising people at the original job with no training in relation to the new role.

Plus there's the contradiction between a good manager always being fair to everyone but at the same time recognising that different people respond to/need different things from you. On one hand you think to be fair you should spend the same amount of time with each person you supervise, but one person might be confident, experienced, and prefer minimum oversight whereas another might be new/nervous and want micromanagement.

Step one for being a decent person is usually to treat others as you'd like to be treated yourself but that doesn't always work with being a manager. There's a thread running on here now where the OP is bemoaning her staff expecting her to be their friend and take a personal interest in their lives when she a) doesn't want to do that as their manager and b) doesn't want it from her manager

I think the problem is that, everywhere I’ve worked at any rate, instead of training people to be managers and then making them managers, they promote them to be managers as the next career step, regardless of how suitable they are to be managers, and then train them (or not) on the job.

I’m in my 50s and I’ve rarely had a good manger.

I’ve never had this from a manager.

My current manager is the best one I've had. I've had plenty of bad managers being in the NHS! Ones who bully or micromanage.
My current one is great because she -

• advocates for the team with managers above,
• understands the pressures the team is under
• understands the jobs we do
• treats us with professional and personal respect
• keeps us busy but does not overload us with too much to the point that we can't cope - she genuinely cares about staff wellbeing
• she is transparent with us about what's going on in the service, that really helps with staff buy-in to service changes
• she values our input
• but she is no push over. She is very firm and decisive and can be strongly directive when that's needed. She takes no shit.

She's a brilliant manager and I can see her becoming strategic lead at some point

I've had good managers! All women it has to be said.

I would make a woeful manager (and have experienced terrible managers too). I think unfortunately it's too often a role people fall into rather than actively seek.

My best managers have been hands off, but good listeners and thoughtful and measured and step up when necessary. But they number three out of about twelve. I have had a lot of jobs 😳

In the majority of organisations promotion and higher earns means moving into a role where you then become responsible for managing people, but there is little correlation in being technically good at a job making you 'manager' material. Unless companies are willing to reward people appropriately for being very good at a job then there will always be people who aren't good at managing who are managers.