Let’s just start off by saying “Being a manager takes some seriously thick skin!” I’ve been in management most of my adult life. I didn’t start out with thick skin, but over time I started building walls to protect myself, I stopped trusting anyone, and my heart began to harden. So how do you be a manager and still keep your sanity?
I’m sure that is the million dollar question! Most people believe that being in management is glamorous. Most people believe that managers make more money than anyone else. I often hear “Why do managers yell a lot”, “What does management actually do?”, and “It’s hard to become a manager, but once you get there it’s easy!” I’m not sure if you have thought this or what you think about being in management, but I’m sure in this blog I am going to debunk any glamorous thoughts or hate speech you spewed about management!
I believe that choosing to be in management is like choosing to be a teacher. You don’t make these career choices for the money…you choose it for the love of helping people. My beliefs are simple. I believe if you are not growing you are dying. I also believe that if you are armed with knowledge you will always be equipped for whatever comes your way. So I chose management to help people not only succeed in their current position, but also to help them grow outside their comfort zone. I want to help people achieve their dreams, help them arm themselves with as much knowledge as I can pass on, and push them to be better today than they were yesterday.
I find being a manager is rewarding in this regard, but it is not for the weak by any means! When I chose management I chose it for all the reasons I listed above. However, I never in my wildest dreams could have imagined the level of stress and sacrifice that would also come with being in management. So you think management is glamorous, huh? Let’s see what you think after hearing my experiences!
Myth #1: Managers Make More Money Than Anyone Else
I know that in some cases managers make more money than their staff, but that is only on paper. If you actually take the number of hours a manager works and divide it by their salary then you would be thanking your lucky stars for what you make! Remember at the end of each day when you clock out and go home? That’s nice isn’t it? Because managers never actually get to clock out. We may not be in the office, but we are always working! You know those amazing little week vacations you get each year? You know the ones you get to go lay out at the beach, drinking that ice cold pina colada, and taking a brain break away from work? Yea, managers don’t get those! Every time I take a vacation my phone rings off the hook, my inbox gets filled with 100’s of emails a day, and certain weekly duties still have to be completed whether I’m on vacation or not. This is not a complaint, but just an education into a day in the life of being a manager!
Myth #2: Managers Take Off All the Time!
Boy oh boy do I hear this one all the time! For some reason employees believe that if you are not in the office then you are “taking time off”. Newsflash! Just because we don’t announce our daily schedule doesn’t mean we are off. There are many times we have to run errands for the company, we will have meetings with individuals and companies outside the office building, and times that we have to go handle problems. Just in case you are still thinking, “Yea, I’m sure they have meetings and what not, but it always seems like they are off.” Now I want you to remember the paragraph you just read above. If we aren’t at the office we aren’t making a quick getaway like we do in our dreams! Whether we are supposed to be off or not…we are never truly off. Remember the hours we put in at night, on weekends, holidays, and on our vacation? Managers don’t work a set schedule, because we work all the time. So if you are still judging us then it’s time you stop judging, step up into management, and take time to walk in our shoes. Trust me, you will be very thankful for having a schedule that you know when you clock out you are going to spend time with your family. I’ve never had a job where I can say that!
Myth #3: Do Managers Actually Do Anything?
This question has always puzzled me. Then I think back to a few managers that I wondered if they ever did anything! So, I’m not completely innocent in wondering this myself. However, then I became a manager and realized there is a lot more to it than what everyone sees! Managers are responsible for keeping up with spreadsheets, watching expenses, watching sales, and pretty much overseeing any and all day to day operations. In addition, they have to be available to stop what they are doing any time there is a customer service issue, any time there is an employee issue, any time there is a general problem, and pretty much any time they are simply needed. So what happens when they are getting interrupted with these events all day every day…well their general office duties get pushed aside. What happens when their general office duties get pushed aside…now they have to work over time. Are you seeing the vicious cycle yet? Then if all of this isn’t stressful enough to keep up with…did you know when something goes wrong a manager is the first to take the blame and potentially lose their job? We used to joke about this in the car industry. Management means you are one step closer to being out the door! That feeling really sucks! I’ve seen amazing managers lose their jobs over things beyond their control. I work hard every day, but I know that one misstep could leave me jobless. Does that make me want to change my profession? Sometimes. However, I have to remind myself why I went into this profession in the first place…helping people!
Myth #4: It’s Hard to Become a Manager, but Easy Once You Get There!
People that believe this definitely do not understand the difficulty, stress, and sacrifice that comes with being in management! First of all, it’s not hard to become a manager. Show initiative, work hard, and arm yourself with knowledge. Be awesome at whatever position you are given, and you will grow beyond that position. If you work hard to grow a company then you will in turn grow with the company! It’s pretty simple logic really. However, although it’s not too hard to become a manager it is hard to keep a management position. Why? Well for many reasons. First, if anything goes wrong a manager is the first to blame. Whether they did it or not they are responsible for the outcome. Secondly, do you know how hard it is to manage the millions of different personality types? If you discipline some people it’s because “you are having a bad day”, “it’s that time of the month”, “my manager doesn’t like me”, “my manager is always in a bad mood”. It’s never because you actually deserved to be disciplined! A good manager should also be a natural motivator. I do this by showing appreciation to my staff. I buy them breakfast, lunch, plan birthday parties, anniversary gifts, holiday parties, team building events, launch incentives, play games for bonus’s, or simply have warm cookies delivered. However, it doesn’t matter what I do for my team…there will always be someone that complains it’s not enough. There will always be someone that will quit because they were disciplined once. There will always be someone lurking in the corner waiting to criticize your every move. So being in management is not easy. It’s a very lonely position. You can’t eat lunch with your employees because you might show partiality to one over another. You can’t make friends because anything they know about your personal life can be used against you. You feel like you are loved and surrounded by so many “friends”, and then you realize most of them are only nice to you because you are their boss and they have to be! So when you think it’s easy being a manager take time to sit down and write out a hundred criticizing statements, read 10 of them each day, then go to lunch alone, and see how easy it is to live that life day in and day out.
Like I said before, being a manager is a choice. So know that as I write this blog it isn’t to complain about what I do. It’s to share with you a day in the life of a manager. My hope is that you will understand a little more about what we go through and the sacrifices we make to be there for you and the company. It’s to request you take a step back and not be so quick to criticize and judge. If you have a manager that shows you how much they appreciate you, says thank you for doing your job, and that you know you can count on being there 24/7, then consider yourself blessed. Not all managers do this. However, simply saying thank you goes a long way. I know that I am not perfect, but that doesn’t make me a bitch. I may not always smile at you, but that doesn’t mean I’m in a bad mood it simply means I was in deep thought. I may have to discipline you, but know I’m pushing you to grow it doesn’t mean I’m on my period. I know we won’t always agree, but one thing you can count on is that I will always be there for you. I am a manager, and I love what I do. However, I have been cussed at, I have been yelled at, I have been criticized, and I have been judged. My walls are built up, I trust very few people, and my heart hardens a little more with every punch. This won’t deter me from being a manager, because my heart is in helping people. I just have to know that I will help those that want to learn and grow, and I will fire those that don’t. Goodnight folks!