You want to be the manager that everyone wants to work for, right? But the question is, do you want to be the “cool” manager, or the manager that gets respect? And an even bigger question, can you be both?
So what makes a “cool” manager? This is the manager that is open to implementing new technology to boring, tried and true processes. They usually have an open door policy, and regularly have happy hour with their team. They are the opposite of the rigid, inflexible manager, and everyone in the company seems to be vying to work on their team.
The manager that gets respect is known to give critical feedback in conjunction with a strong dose of mentorship. He or she will push you to give 100 percent by asking for quick turnaround on projects that aren’t exactly in line with your day to day job description, or ask you to learn a new system to help streamline your work. You can still go on vacation and work for this manager, and people on this team tend to get promoted because they seem eager to learn and go above and beyond.
So as a manager, how can you be both the “cool” manager and the manager that gets respect?
- Build the relationship w/ your employees
Everyone says that you should strive to get to know your team outside of the office, but there are self imposed limits you should consider. You’ll want to show up at the happy hour or plan the happy hour for your team, but it doesn’t mean you should close down the bar with them. Feel free to share about your life in team meetings, but you don’t have to give every detail of how you spend your free time, or in depth detail on your relationship status. Life happens, and there will be things that happen in the life of your employees that will affect how they’re doing at work. The more you can seem like you’re human and understand that, the more likely you will be perceived as someone who gets it when the going gets rough, and they’ll be open and honest with you about when they need a little leeway to deal with whatever life throws at them.
- Be flexible
It goes without saying that wonderful, dedicated employees will leave early some days and put in the extra time another day when it’s easier for them. Can you let them know that is your expectation? If you can set the example, and compliment people when they go the extra mile, that’s an important distinction. If you tell your staff that they can’t be leaving early for summer half day fridays because you’re all so busy, yet take off at noon because you’re the boss, you will jeopardize your “cool” manager and respected manager status.
- Praise is good, but so is feedback
Are you only comfortable giving positive comments to your staff? Are you afraid that if you give negative feedback, they won’t do anything to improve where they’re coming up short? If you have to give yourself a pep talk for every review you have to give an employee, can you start with trying to give feedback in weekly meetings on minor things that you’d love to see forward progress on. Don’t let your desire to be the “cool” manager get in the way of communicating about an employee’s performance that could jeopardize their review results, and potentially their annual compensation.
- Challenge, don’t just delegate
There’s a huge difference between challenging an employee and delegating tasks to an employee. Sometimes, it can feel like as a manager when you’re trusting an employee with something new, it is providing them with a new challenge. However, when you’re actually challenging an employee, you both likely came up with the new project or task that they’ll be working on, have a timeline and projected desired outcome in place, and regularly check in on the progress. Simply delegating tasks is far less involved, and can feel like “extra work” if it’s not positioned in the right way.
If you come to work everyday and strive to be a friendly and approachable boss to everyone on your team, you’re more than halfway to striking the right balance between being the “cool” manager, and the manager that gets respect. Being intentional about the way you communicate with your team, and keeping your objective of what kind of leader you want to be at the forefront of everything you do means there’s no way you’ll find yourself as the leading candidate for the “horrible boss of the year” that everyone mentions during after work happy hours.