After looking at the companies that made 2020 Fortune Best Companies to Work For list, a few commonalities start to stand out. Employees from companies such Hilton, Wegmans Food Markets, Inc., Stryker, and American Express all expressed that their respective company is focused on taking care of the employee.[1] So what is it that makes an employee feel this way? In a case study done by Harvard Business School, it was found that one trait of a good manager is that express interest and concern for team members.[2]
This is the type of manager that I want to be. The manager that employees feel comfortable bringing problems, new ideas, and general questions to. I would like to be able to make all of my coworkers feel comfortable with their work environment and understand that they are a priority. Another key idea in the type of manager that I want to be is to be technically proficient. I’d want my coworkers to see that my time at work is in fact, being spent working, and that I’m not doing any less than they are.
I think that the most challenging part of a manager’s job is managing the people. You have to find a way to talk to and relate to everyone on your team. What motivates one person might not do anything for the next, so it’s really important to learn about your employees. You also need to know and be able to adjust for the different personalities that the team consists of. Another thing that you have to consider with people is emotions and you have to be able to handle those situations as well. We’re all prone to having the occasional bad day so you need to be able handle that. In short, all of the differences between people are what I think the hardest part of being a manager is.
Sources
- Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work For® 2020. (2020). Great Place to Work United States. https://www.greatplacetowork.com/best-workplaces/100-best/2020
- Garvin, D. A. (2013). How Google Sold Its Engineers on Management. Harvard Business Review, 91(12), 78.
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