The Value of a Manager
The Value of a Manager
... as perceived by team members
What is the value of a manager to the people he/she manages? It's a question that managers should always be asking themselves. A lot of responses would be about vision, strategy, goals, communication flow, and mentoring. All of that is true. But it's also important to remember that managers also have a day-to-day impact on their employees. As a manager, it's crucial to think about the concrete value that you bring to your team on a regular basis.
Make a list of concrete value that you provided
One way to do this is to make a list of the specific value that you provided in the past four weeks. This list should include:
Situation
Problem
Solution
Value you actually provided to the team member
However, it's important to note that this list should not include vague or general entries like "I mentioned the OKRs again that everybody could have looked up anyway." Instead, it should be focused on real, concrete examples of value that you provided.
Yeah, I get it, you don’t need to actually write it down. Just get a clear understanding of your own behaviour.
By going through this exercise, you'll gain a much clearer picture of the value that you bring to your team. It will help you to understand the situations in which your value is most apparent, as well as the situations in which it may be harder to see. Additionally, this exercise can help you to identify areas where you could improve and provide even more value to your team.
Ultimately, the value that a manager provides is multifaceted and depends on a variety of factors, including the specific needs of their team and the goals of the organization as a whole. However, by taking the time to reflect on the concrete value that you provide on a regular basis, you'll be better equipped to lead your team and make a positive impact on the organization.
What I read
This is separate section of this newsletter. I will list some of the best articles I read on the internet. They may or may not be related to the topic of this article. I will keep a list of the best articles (currently >700) at https://www.digital-product-management.com. These are today’s picks:
Experiment Docs: Organize and structure experiments with the template used at over a dozen companies.
Personal User Manuals: Personal Readmes to create psychological safety & trust, combat bias, and build bonds.
Executive Presence: What it means to have executive presence, and how you can build it. Valid for everyone, not only managers!