Leadership

Think of all the excellent managers and supervisors you’ve had. They were probably high achievers.

You’re probably one, too!

But high achievers are often so passionate about their jobs they don’t realize how hard they’re working or the load they’re carrying – they just want to succeed.

Which makes them prime candidates for burnout!

You’re probably thinking: I’m not burned out. I’m just a little stressed.

But guess what? “Stressed out” and “burned out” are just a few degrees apart.

Burnout sneaks up on you slowly over time, while you’re dealing with your busy and hectic life, and feeds off your energy.

So let’s make sure you don’t let stress get the best of you!

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In business, maintaining the status quo is death.

If you’re not moving forward, you’re falling behind – particularly in today’s world.

Innovation is critical to every company, whether it is new products or services, more efficient manufacturing processes, or new marketing and sales channels.

Innovation does not require some exotic new technology. It requires an innovative culture – one that is embraced by the people at the top and flows through the whole organization.

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You pride yourself on having an open door policy. Employees know you’re receptive to their needs and can talk to you about anything.

That’s great, right?

But what sounds like workplace nirvana can turn into a nightmare. If you’re not careful, you could end up running daily therapy sessions or become the defacto office police department.

An open door that allows for constant access to you for every single issue, problem and decision may turn out to be counterproductive to you and your entire department.

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So, you say you want to be a manager!

Maybe even the top dog one day.

If so, here’s some encouraging news: The line may not be as long as you’d think.

According to a survey by professional staffing outfit Addison Group, just one in three employees have their hearts set on becoming a manager.

One in five have zero interest whatsoever in managing other people.

If you are among those who still want to get promoted and take that first step into management, here are seven things that will get you noticed by your own boss,

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Did you aspire to be a manager so you could move up in your company?

Or were you just really good at your job, got things done and they made a manager because of that?

If you’re in the latter group, answer this:

Are you a micromanager?

No? Really?

Do you delegate work to your team or do you feel the need to do everything by yourself?

Do you let your team work on their own and give you periodic updates, or do you hover and have to know what’s going on 24/7?

Still not sure?

Here are 5 warning signs you’re a micromanager:

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Advice is a lot like Castor oil – easy to give, harder to take.

And since that is so true, it means managers have their work cut out for them when it comes to giving good advice.

We all admire the wisdom of those who come to us for help (ha ha).  But that just doesn’t happen often enough. And therein lies the problem.

Good managers must give sound advice on a daily basis, and they can’t always wait until someone comes seeking it out.

Instead, it’s dished out cold, sort of ready-or-not-here-it-comes.

Of course, there’s a lot of advice available on how to give good advice. But much of it just doesn’t apply in the real world of work.

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As far as bosses go, the majority aren’t stellar.

In fact, one study found that 87% of the employees surveyed have had a bad boss.

So, are you a bad boss?

You probably aren’t or you wouldn’t be reading ResourcefulManager, but there’s a good chance you do have a few bad management traits that could be improved.

For example, maybe you’re like me and a little bit of a control freak.

That’s not necessarily a bad thing, if you know how to rein it in and not drive everyone you supervise up the wall.

So what makes a bad boss? Here are 12 traits to watch for:

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There are times when I’m about to offer someone advice I catch myself and say, “You know what? You could really benefit from having a good mentor.”

Which is actually pretty good advice.

And you know what? They agree.

Having a healthy relationship with a mentor has no downsides. And a mentor can provide much more than just sound advice.

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Resourceful managers always have a lot going on. It comes with the territory. So we sometimes have to say no to demands for our time. And most people respect that.

But then there are The Others. You recognize them. The PWNHNs – the People Who Never Hear No.

They’re always clamoring for your time, and you Just. Can’t. Tell. Them. No.

They ask. You politely say no.

They cajole: “But you’re perfect for this! I need you!”

They pout: “What do you mean, no? You did it last year!”

They argue: “It won’t take long. You can fit it in between meetings.”

But you can’t be everything to everyone. You can stop the PWNHNs by recognizing their tactics, getting smart about avoiding their traps and learning how to say ‘no’.

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