You may have this problem without even recognizing it

This great article describes a situation that can arise in any department or group where there are more than a few people. Dealing with egos that are causing disruption and workplace problems is one of the most challenging management problems. After you read the article, you will have some tools to recognize the problem if it does exist in your group, and a couple of suggestions on how to deal with it. Do post your comments and things you have tried yourself --- they might help other readers!

LEGGO MY EGO! By Rhoberta Shaler, PhD :: Hotel News Resource

The Manager's Workday

In my coaching work, young managers often express confusion about what they're actually supposed to do during their work day. Before, their tasks and functions were clear cut, and it was easy to see what they had accomplished at the end of the day. But now, as managers, the days look a little different and they sometimes wonder if they actually accomplished anything.

Is that you? Well, what might help is a mental shift in how you see things. A manager's job is to get things done through other people, so focus on what you want your department or team to accomplish.

For example, the coach of a sports team plans the tactics for the game, but can't go out on the field and actually play the game. So the coach's job is to see that the players follow the game plan in order to achieve the goal. This can entail some encouraging words as well as occasional disciplinary action to keep all the players on track. But when the plan works out, all the team wins --- the coach gets his or her share of the glory and it's well deserved.

Now put yourself in this picture. Design the plan, set it in motion and then guide your people to a successful end result --- you'll soon learn to recognize that as a worthwhile use of your day and you WILL be able to measure your accomplishments.

Workplace challenges and solutions

The following article is written from an IT standpoint, but the 3 workplace situations it describes could apply to people in any discipline. See if any of these tips help your situation. As a manager, you might also consider whether these problems might be arising for the people who report to you, and if they do, take action before the problem escalates to the point where you lose good people. Here's the link to the article:

Computerworld | Simple Solutions to Tricky Workplace Challenges

Leadership or Management?

There's a lot of talk about leaders vs managers. If you read all those aticles by leadership gurus, you might think "manager" is a bad word!

Here's my take on this. The higher up the corporate ladder you go, the less hands-on managing you're expected to do. So senior executives, for example, serve their companies best by shaping missions and leading people towards the big picture goals.

If you're still in the early stages of your management career, however, your focus needs to be different. The goals of your department will be more tightly focused, and you'll need to plan and monitor the people and processes needed to attain them. That's not leadership—that's management. It's an honorable pursuit, and without those who do it well, those at the top would have nobody to lead.