A Manager's Duty

As I write this, we're in the aftermath (of all the weirdest things to say, based on what I'm talking about) of the catastrophe known as Britney Spears and what was a tragic performance on the MTV Video Awards this past weekend. I bet you're wondering how I'm going to turn this into a management or leadership topic; stick around.

Every performer has a manager, or management team. The job of a manager in that case is somewhat different than a manager who leads employees on a daily basis, but not as much as you might believe. An entertainment manager's job is to basically manage the careers of their clients. A manager is supposed to protect their client, get them performing gigs, help them with their publicity, and basically show them in a good light as much as possible. In other words, it's a manager's job to take care of their client.

What is the job of managers of employees on a normal day. Well, take out getting performing gigs, the rest pretty much fits the job description. Managers are responsible for the careers of their employees. They're responsible for making sure their employees are shown in a good light by making sure they're trained properly. And, it's also a manager's job to, in essence, take care of the company and their employees, which, in a way, is their client.

While Britney Spears is taking all the heat for deciding to perform, and deciding what to wear on the show, the truth is that there are many people who knew she wasn't mentally or physically ready to go on the stage. There were people who knew exactly what they were doing in putting here out there while she wasn't at her best, and those people are, in some fashion, reaping the benefits of her being on that show. For instance, MTV's ratings went up 23% from the previous year; that almost never happens for awards shows these days. The manager got paid; the dancers got paid; even Britney herself got paid. But no one was looking out for her or her long term career at that moment; they were all looking to get what they could now.

Is this different than what some managers do every day? Businesses don't have ratings, but they have profit margins and profits. Even the actions of a bad employee could result in some immediate profits, but some long term problems. Everyone gets paid, whether the manager does a good job with their employees or not, but very often, no one is looking at the long term issues of what will happen, and trust me, bad things will eventually happen.

So, overall, just what is a manager's duty, or responsibility, on a daily basis? I realize that I talk often about leadership and management principles, but it's been a very long time since I've made a list and given explanations of just what is expected of managers. True, I have some of that in my book, but since I know some folks haven't read the book (major league hint there), I'm going to list three things that are absolutes for managers; if you're not doing these things, you should get some training or give up the ghost, because you're not doing anyone any justice, including yourself.

1. Take ultimate responsibility for everything your employees do. This one is absolute, but needs an explanation. A manager is ultimately responsible; this doesn't mean the manager is totally to blame for indiscretions of an employee. What it means is that a manager will stand by their employee when, or if, others complain, until they examine things for themselves. What it means is that a manager will go out of their way to make sure their employees are properly trained, have everything they need to do their jobs, and are fairly treated by everyone, including themselves. A manager will do everything humanly possible to provide the best environment for their employees, and themselves, to thrive.

2. Managers must set the goals for their employees and for the department and then stick by them. There is the reality that every person is responsible for their own behavior and performance. That being said, they're only responsible for themselves. People try to put the onus on employees that they're responsible for the organization, but that's not true at all. Employees are there to do the bulk of the work; that's what they get paid to do. It's the responsibility of managers to make sure that work is done, and to make sure the employees know what the ultimate goal is. If a manager takes it for granted that their employees know what they're supposed to do, they're making a big mistake. This doesn't mean that you don't work to train people so that you don't have to constantly sit and watch what they're doing every minute of the day. What it means is that a manager has to set the goals, based on the needs of the organization, has to set up a way to monitor the performance, and then, if those goals aren't met, has to find a way to either train or discipline the employee so that the goals can be met most of the time. By discipline, I don't mean chewing an employee out; I mean being able to talk to them about the lack of performance, and ascertain what needs to take place.

3. Managers must pay attention to the needs of their employees. This one isn't as simple as making sure they have a computer, or paper, or a desk. Except for being a parent to an employee (though some managers try), managers must be everything else. They must be the teacher, counselor, and monitor. They must know when to commiserate with an employee who's going through some tough personal times, and they must know when they have to push an employee to be better than the employee might think they can be. They must know how to encourage an employee and how to make sure they're fully understood when things aren't going right. They must know when to pull back, when to make sure employees are pacing themselves (as in not always allowing them to skip lunch or breaks), because when people aren't mentally sharp, they're not of full value to you or the organization. Managers also have to be real, be human, and acknowledge that they, themselves, aren't perfect; they shouldn't expect anything of others they don't expect of themselves. And, at the same time, managers shouldn't expect others to always be able to live up to the extremely high standards if they happened to be superlative at the job.

One of Webster's Dictionary's definition of the word "manage is "to take charge or care of". If you've been appointed this position, or one of the other names that basically mean the same thing, you've accepted this as your main duty. Take it literally; it really is all on you.