“My Manager Sucks the Life Out of Me” from a Manager’s Perspective
Remember, it goes both ways.
We’ve all been there.
You land the job that is going to pay your bills, you celebrate with dinner and champagne, you think “this time the grass really is greener” until about month five.
From being an employee to managing a group of fifty, I tend to see where the shift happens from an employee being extremely eager and excited to land a new job to where they start to get overly comfortable and disengage.
Now, some people might say it’s the managers fault for letting this happen or it’s the toxic work environment. I don’t disagree. I have based my management style off of every manager I’ve had that I didn’t agree with or appreciate. My employees will tell you that my style of management is super relaxed but we also get the job done. I don’t care if you’re not working 8am-5pm at your computer nonstop as long as your daily tasks are getting done. And to be quite honest, I don’t want you working at your desk from 8am-5pm nonstop. Go for a walk. Clear your mind. Check TikTok. You want to run to Target at 10am for a throw blanket and an overpriced coffee? Do you. Just make sure you excel in time management and your report that’s due at 2pm is in my inbox by 1:59pm.
Here’s the thing. Managers get critiqued on how well (or not well) their direct reports are doing at their jobs. It’s 2021, employees don’t want to be micro-managed and to be honest, managers don’t want to micro-manage you. Let me repeat that for the ones in the back, WE DON’T WANT TO MICRO-MANAGE YOU.
Now you see, it goes both ways. As much as you, the employee, finds us, the managers, annoying… you also give us reasons to drive you nuts. Here’s the things we want done by you without having to micro-manage you.
Side note: these points below are based off of the employee having proper training and the proper tools to get this work done. Side side note to managers, train your employees properly. Don’t be sloppy.
- Don’t take the position just to pay the bills.
I may want you for my team, but if you aren’t passionate about the industry or the position, DON’T TAKE IT. Move on to the next. It’s better for the both of us and at the end of the day, your happiness is what matters. - Do your daily/weekly check-ins with your team.
I don’t know about you, but in my company, my employees are based off their individual performance but also their team performance. They do weekly check-ins to make sure they are all on the same page, to see what they accomplished for the week, and to hold each other accountable. This helps take away the micro-managing aspect from the manager and puts it’s on the team. - Let your team know when you are taking ‘me’ time.
For our teams, we use Slack as our instant messenger and a calendar for due dates. Give yourself a timeline for when you want your work completed and let your team know you’re going to take some ‘me’ time. Give yourself some down time but also let your team know when you are back online. This helps me as a manager not expect you to get back to me right away and to understand that you need a mental break. - If you feel lost, speak up.
This is a big one. I’ve noticed a lot of time employees start to become distracted and it’s because they don’t have clear direction. If that’s you, speak up. It’s the manager’s responsibility to create goals and direction, if you’re not receiving that, schedule a meeting. - The grass isn’t always greener, but sometimes it is.
If you feel like you cannot go to your job anymore, you are bored, overly worked, burnt out, it’s time to talk to your manager. If it’s something you and your manager cannot resolve, it may be time to start looking for another job. If it’s something your manager wants to help you with and you are willing, take the appropriate steps and meet each other in the middle. - You dread waking up every morning.
We spend a lot of time working, a majority of the day, actually. If you dread your job now, you’re going to dread it even more tomorrow and next week. Why do you dread your job? Make a list. What do you desire from your position that you aren’t getting? Schedule a meeting.
Trust me, we don’t want to feel like we are sucking the life out of you. That’s no fun for either parties involved. However, I get it, there are some managers that play the power card. I’ve been on the other side of that. It’s daunting and you feel like you can’t ever do anything right. You are living for the weekends. Don’t do that. If you can’t speak with your manager, reevaluate what you want from a position, get honest with yourself.
At the end of the day, try to focus on the positive. What do you like about your current position? Maybe it’s talking to Jessica from the admin office in the mornings, or getting to learn a new software program. Try to remember why you took the job in the first place. I always encourage you to try and talk with your manager if they are willing to listen. We all deserve happiness and to enjoy the position we chose for ourselves.
Managers, remember, you want your employees to enjoy their work, to enjoy coming into the office whether that’s physically or remotely. No employee wants to feel overworked and under appreciated. If you notice they are overworked and aren’t doing anything about it, that’s on you as a manager. Of course you are going to have your busy time/busy seasons but make sure you notice when your team is starting to have burn out and do something about it.
If I can give you anything to take away from this article it’s to not lose hope. If this isn’t the position for you, keep looking, keep searching, keep applying. Find that something during the day that gives you happiness. What engages you? Keep digging.
