The Manager Material Framework

Set clear expectations with team members through regular 1x1s and team meetings to ensure alignment and proper resourcing including removing roadblocks.

Advocate for the resources your team needs to be successful: time, budget, pay, more personnel, etc. 

Balance the needs of the business with the needs of the team. Sometimes those will be in conflict. You will need to constantly evaluate where to push back on the company, where the asks of the team are unreasonable, and sometimes when the company’s moral compass doesn’t point north and is taking advantage of the people.

Performance coach team members providing timely affirmative and corrective feedback and solutions on gaps in performance. This includes properly documenting performance for both future promotion, raise, or disciplinary action.

Provide reward and recognition that is timely and individualized to each team member.

Develop your team on an ongoing basis including internal growth opportunities through promotions and stretch projects.

Recruit team members that will continually raise the bar.

New hire and transition (promotions or internal transfers) management including training and first day preparation. You will provide them a 30/60/90 “ramp plan” with 30/60/90-day check-ins to review performance (timeline may vary based on specific role needs).

Execute the management administration functions: managing and approving timecards, managing and approving PTO: planned and unplanned, approving PAFs, etc.

Work with HR and Legal teams to ensure all activities are in compliance with local, state, and federal law as well as company policy.

Design communication flows to keep all team members informed of progress or changes including emails/chats/meetings. Lead effective meetings &  present information in public settings professionally.

Build a strong working relationship with your manager, so you earn trust, anticipate needs, and can effectively advocate for the needs of your team.

You follow through on your commitments to your team. They know they can rely on you, and you don’t get in the way of their success.

You understand emotions and are able to set the appropriate boundaries and respond appropriately in situations. You know that sometimes you need to come back to a situation before responding. You know that strong emotions of any kind are typically not great partners in decision-making (anger, love, stress, fear, etc).

This is Self-Regulates bestie. You know the impact you have on others and can quickly understand where you went off track. More so, you are desperate to correct it.

You don’t avoid conflict or uncomfortable conversations. Instead, you know that those are the most important ones and will help others grow.

You know the difference between friend and friendly. You know that being “friends” is not how you win them over ("spilling the tea," oversharing, trauma dumping, venting, etc). In a dynamic where you have influence over employment, performance evaluations, and pay, you know it is not an equal relationship. Therefore, it’s not fair to ask for an equal one as a friendship would require.

You learn the needs of each team member and adjust accordingly. This means different communication styles, different 1x1 cadences, different development and reward/recognition resources. Finding someone with the same natural approach is 1 in 5 billion, so each person that reports to you has a unique way of doing things based on their individual neural wiring.

You know that true empathy comes naturally to only a handful of the population, so you create processes to put yourself in other people’s shoes.

You know when to say no, how to structure your team appropriately (when you have too many direct reports), when to delegate, and when to get more resources when the scope or scale increases.

You know that the person you are today is not the person to get you to next year. You have to grow and evolve to meet the needs of your team and the business. You continuously build and refine your toolkit.

You know that to be successful, you need a strong group of people guiding you. People who won’t lead you off track with bad advice. People you can lean on.

You know that you float and rely on the current to carry you, you have to be intentional, have a plan. Managing people requires time and a thoughtful approach. You know that it can be something that “just happens."

If all or most of you is tied up in work, you simply cannot be a manager of people who properly models balance including taking time off, real time off. Being "all in" on your job means you will set unrealistic expectations for your team that will lead to burnout and incorrect performance management.

You know that while it’s not the most enjoyable feeling, there will be times when you made the wrong call. And you are willing to take ownership and make the necessary adjustments. You know there also might be times where your idea isn’t the best, and you are willing to hear other perspectives and use them

You know that creating consensus isn’t always the right call. Getting to a decision everyone agrees on can mean a bad call. Data needs to drive, not harmony. 

You don’t make gut decisions because you know that good decision making is based on data not feelings or anecdotal evidence. You know that “people are unhappy” is very different from “20% of people submitted a complaint about XYZ."

You know that when you moved into a people management role, the definition of winning changed. It’s no longer about just you, instead you win when you set your team up to win. 

You are a guide to your team helping them see around corners, learn how to do new things, anticipating the needs of the business. The saying is true, people win for the coach. But you have to be a coach first in order for that to happen. The majority of development for your team doesn’t come from seminars and online trainings, it comes from you. 

You know that you will be set up for success as a manager when you are in an environment where you thrive. If you aren’t, it’s hard to inspire a team when you are miserable.