The Making of a Manager: What to Do When Everyone Looks to You

by Julie Zhuo

only when you’ve bought into the whys can you truly be effective in the hows.

MANAGER’S JOB IS TO . . . build a team that works well together, support members in reaching their career goals, and create processes to get work done smoothly and efficiently.

you are no longer trying to get something done by yourself.

It is the belief that a team of people can achieve more than a single person going it alone.

Your job, as a manager, is to get better outcomes from a group of people working together.

never forget what you’re ultimately here to do: help your team achieve great outcomes.

Hackman’s research describes five conditions that increase a team’s odds of success: having a real team (one with clear boundaries and stable membership), a compelling direction, an enabling structure, a supportive organizational context, and expert coaching.

purpose, people, and process.

Why do you wake up and choose to do this thing

The first big part of your job as a manager is to ensure that your team knows what success looks like and cares about achieving it.

“make every customer who calls feel cared for”

people, otherwise known as the who. Are the members of your team set up to succeed? Do they have the right skills? Are they motivated to do great work?

process, which describes how your team works together.

Who should do what by when?

Purpose, people, process. The why, the who, and the how. A great manager constantly asks herself how she can influence these levers to improve her team’s outcomes.

Your role as a manager is not to do the work yourself, even if you are the best at it, because that will only take you so far. Your role is to improve the purpose, people, and process of your team to get as high a multiplier effect on your collective outcome as you can.

Do I Find It More Motivating to Achieve a Particular Outcome or to Play a Specific Role?

As a manager, you are judged on your team’s outcomes,

Do I Like Talking with People?

Can I Provide Stability for an Emotionally Challenging Situation?

the best outcomes come from inspiring people to action, not telling them what to do.

What did you and your past manager discuss that was most helpful to you?

What are the ways in which you’d like to be supported?

How do you like to be recognized fo...

Imagine that you and I had an amazing relationship. What wo...

What keeps you up at night? Why? How do you determine which things to prioritize?

“Since I’m new, you might not feel comfortable sharing everything with me right away. I hope to earn your trust over time. I’ll start by sharing more about myself, including my biggest failure ever . . .” I love this anecdote because it’s the epitome of “show, don’t tell.”

“Our last manager left big shoes to fill, and while I’ll do my best, I expect I’ll go through a few bumps along the way. I want to ask you for your help and support during this period.”

“How long will it take to feel like I know what I’m doing?” I reply quite honestly, “It took me about three years.”

Managing a small team is about mastering a few basic fundamentals: developing a healthy manager–report relationship and creating an environment of support.

A manager’s job is to get better outcomes from a group of people working together through influencing purpose, people, and process.

What gets in the way of good work? There are only two possibilities. The first is that people don’t know how to do good work. The second is that they know how, but they aren’t motivated.

Why would someone not know how to do great work? The obvious answer is that she might not have the right skills for the job.

help your report learn those skills or hire somebody else with the skills you need.

Why would someone not be motivated to do great work? One possible answer is that he doesn’t have a clear picture of what great work looks like. Another possibility is that the role doesn’t speak to his aspirations; he can, but he’d rather be doing something else.

Or perhaps he thinks nothing will change if he puts in more effort—there will be no rewards if things improve, and no pena...

First, discuss whether your expectations are aligned—does

does “great work” mean the same thing for both of you? Then discuss whether it’s a matter of motivation. If both of those don’t resolve your concerns, then dive in to whether the issue is with skills.

people feel they can share their mistakes, challenges, and fears with you.

strive for all your one-on-one meetings to feel a little awkward.

managing is caring.”

What caring does mean, however, is doing your best to help your report be successful and fulfilled in her work.

One-on-ones should be focused on your report and what would help him be more successful,

Remember that your job is to be a multiplier for your people. If you can remove a barrier, provide a valuable new perspective, or increase their confidence, then you’re enabling them to be more successful.

How can you achieve stellar 1:1s? The answer is preparation.

Discuss top priorities: What are the one, two, or three most critical outcomes for your report and how can you help her tackle these challenges?

Calibrate what “great” looks like: Do you have a shared vision of what you’re working toward? Are you in sync about goals or expectations?

Reflect on how things are going: Once in a while, it’s useful to zoom out and talk about your report’s general state of mind—how is he feeling on the whole? What’s making him satisfied or dissatisfied? Have any of his goals changed? What has he learned recently and what does he want to learn going forward?

Here are some of my favorite questions to get the conversation moving:

What’s top of mind for you right now? What priorities are you thinking about this week? What’s the best use of our time today?