Posts have been very sporadic due to time being spent on love, MBA studies & MichaelStephen. Decided to expand the sharing of some thoughts & insights beyond colleagues/friends/clients to the blogosphere as well. As usual discourse & discussion is most welcome including whether you find these reads interesting. The following post contains key points from an interesting article on what a manager usually expects from his/her direct reports reporting to him/her.
Photo Credit: Cafe Mon Amour by Valexina
Get Involved
• Delegation is very important but need to know when involvement is required
• Depends on judgment call but usually when:-
o Somebody is falling behind in his/her commitments
o When important personnel matters arise
o Conflict/crisis
Generate Ideas
• Hear what you have to say (and not what you think I want to hear)
• Even corny, funny, weird ideas – we can try it out!
• Come up with ideas as you are the best people to come up with ideas!
Collaboration/Working together
• Best if can work together & share credit
• Even if somehow you do not like someone, need to communicate & work together
Be Willing to Lead Initiatives
• Take a chance & take up challenging new projects
• It’s the best way to get noticed & climb the corporate ladder faster
Develop People as You Develop
• Take interest in your peers/subordinates expectations as in your own
• Get personally involved in performance appraisals
• Give specific & useful feedback (no ambiguity/vagueness)
Stay Current
• Read new, reports, etc & know what’s happening in the world
• Know how customers & the competition is changing
• Know how technology & world events are affecting customers strategies
• Customer relationships are an asset!
Anticipate
• Stay current to avoid risking a setback you should have anticipated
• The best people who are constantly looking around corners are best suited to leadership positions
Drive Your Own Growth
• Seek perpetual education & development (not only though studying, but through other people & ideas)
• Get feedback from your boss, peers & subordinates
• Accept demanding assignments & as you learn more than from cushy/simple projects
Be a Player for All Seasons
• Collaborate & offer ideas whether the company is growing with +20% profits, or -20% growth
Question
What do you think a manager expects from his/her employees?
I think a manager expects follow through and assertive behavior–do what you told and do what you need to do.
Nice to see your blog again, Stev.
By: SandyCarlson on April 21, 2009
at 4:21 am
Respect, loyalty and due diligence…
Employees need to know that they’re appreciated and respected. Remember well that the little guys at the bottom hold and keep the big guys on top. The little guys keep the place running also.
By: pinknpurplelizard on April 21, 2009
at 9:48 am
Manager expect his subordinates to complete the tasks given, and reviewed the task together in a periodic basic. Also, guide them when required.
On the other hand, subordinate expect their managers to appreaciate their work with recognisition, even it’s just a lunch treat. ;-p
Good luck in your exam, bro!
By: pet on April 22, 2009
at 9:19 am
@sandy: follow through / task completion is pretty big up there. assertive behavior is an interesting point for consideration too.
it’s good to be posting despite time limitations =)
@pplizard: very true indeed. especially in today’s world whereby quite often employees actually know better then managers in their specific focus areas. another thing would be the ‘great divide’ between mgrs-employees especially in Asian countries that needs to be broken
@pet: no free lunch eh?
And yes agreed on recognition & guidance.
thanks for the wishes!
By: stev on April 22, 2009
at 10:02 pm
[...] of a Manager The other side of the story to Expectations of a Direct Report — Interesting key points on what most people expect from their Top Managers/CEO/GM/Leaders in [...]
By: Expectations of a Manager « StevBlogs on May 1, 2009
at 12:15 am