The Manager's Role from the employees' point of view

A manager's role is often defined solely from a business perspective. But what about the role of a manager from an employee's point of view?

1. Managers proactively inform their people about where time and effort are being spent unnecessarily.

2. Managers assign ambitious employees tasks that are sufficiently challenging so that, if the employee succeeds, there is enough of a reward to foster career growth.

3. Managers provide early and frequent feedback. This helps employees recognize when they are going off track before it is too late, thereby preventing frustrating surprises or wasted effort on actions that cannot be rewarded.

4. Managers help identify and fill competency gaps in their people. It is frustrating to be assigned a task and fail due to a lack of information or skill. A manager helps fill such gaps before they lead to frustration.

5. Managers make employees' jobs less frustrating. This includes removing excessive bureaucracy, providing adequate tools, and addressing internal disputes and friction between departments.

6. Managers proactively communicate the hidden purpose of tedious tasks, understanding that purpose is what distinguishes tedious work from demotivating work.

7. Managers communicate so clearly and concretely that their meaning is understood by everyone. They do not clarify misunderstandings but prevent them.

8. Managers find small but value-adding tasks for their demotivated employees that they can succeed at.

9. Managers respect their employees' time. While requiring overtime may occasionally be necessary, managers take proactive steps to avoid unnecessary overtime.

10. Managers do not give up easily on demotivated employees, understanding that demotivation often stems from learning that efforts are in vain. Therefore, they find ways to direct their people's efforts toward tasks that will teach them the opposite lesson.

11. Managers provide motivated employees with opportunities to apply their motivation effectively.

12. Managers interpret abstract objectives, telling each worker what concrete actions to take and why. They never mention company-wide objectives and core values without immediately explaining what they mean concretely to the individuals they are addressing.

In summary, managers prioritize, delegate, assist, explain, acknowledge, teach, and coach to ensure that their employees' time and efforts at work are worthwhile (in terms of salary, growth, self-respect, security, or whatever resource the employee joined the company for).