May 04, 2007
Tammi's Guide To Management 101
People are just that. People. Sometimes we all forget that little fact.
I've always been taught to be polite. To treat my "superiors" with respect. OK - I don't always do that all that well. But....I try. I'm all about the person. Not the title. I treat everyone the same. Until they give me a reason (good or bad) to modify that.
I remember when I first started out working. I was an audit rater for an Insurance company. I would see all these folks, in their formal suits, walking around with notebooks and this very serious expression on their face. Very stodgy in my opinion.
Hell, even the sales reps had me cowered. Always running around, something cooking, talking non-stop. They were all in "the know" and my job was dependent on them. They didn't sell, I didn't work. And they made sure we all knew it.
Then one day I WAS them. And I realized I couldn't sell without those other folks on the team. I needed them much more than they needed me. And that "in the know" shit? Yeah, what a pile of horse hockey that idea was.
So I've always made it a point to remember how important each and every person on the team is. Right now, I've got a pretty big problem at work. We've had to pull several people off of their regular jobs to do a little project for me.
I walked out to the warehouse yesterday to see how things were going. I looked at each and every one of them and said Thank You. I even did it in Spanish! I then made sure their supervisor knew how much I appreciated it.
On Monday I will take in donuts or something special. With a note. Just to make sure they know it's not just lip service. I am grateful. I know it's not the best work, but I couldn't do what I do without them.
And I can honestly say, I don't think I'll ever be "stodgy". You see, I have this rule. I have to laugh every day. At least once. Every single day. And when things go well? I celebrate. A happy dance here, a WooHoo there. Yeah, not exactly stodgy behavior.
But I get so frustrated with people sometimes. It's like they don't see the big picture. They forget that no one person is more important than the other. Without that sweet lady pulling my product off of the shelf, I got nothing. Without that guy running the paperwork in shipping, I got nothing. Without Customer Service entering the orders, I got nothing.
And that team is made up of PEOPLE. Each one with a life. Friends. Family. Dreams. Feelings. We need to respect that. And show them the respect they deserve. They aren't perfect. Hell, no one is. But as long as they give it their best effort, I'm grateful.
The other thing that bugs me is the whole "need to know" thing. I call Bull Shit. Oh - now, there are certain financials that don't need to be common knowledge, but regarding customers? Orders? Projects? Yeah, tell folks. Give them some warning about what is comin' down the pike. Allow them to plan. To feel a part of things. If they want to know, keep them up on long term projects. Tell them when we hit one out of the park. Let them celebrate too!
So yeah. Titles? All they mean is more responsibility. More chances to screw up. And the higher the title? The more exposure. The more risk. That's all. I just wish some folks would remember that.
Posted by Tammi at May 4, 2007 08:18 AM | TrackBack