So, are you managing?

“I’m not a manager,” you might be thinking. People often don’t think about managing if they don’t have that title on their business cards.  But consider these management roles we all play:

• Upwards Management:  For most of us, there’s someone up the business food chain that is responsible for making sure we’re reaching goals and deadlines.  You need to let them know what you’re up to so they can recognize the value you add to the company/project/team.  If you enjoy what you do at all, you should be giving them suggestions on how to improve what’s going on around you.  And, of course, you want to have a good relationship with them for things like promotions, future assignments, and salary increases.
• Peer Management:  We generally don’t execute projects alone.  We coordinate our tasks with others to finish meaningful work.  That means you often must manage your team mates and co-workers.  Let relevant members know when you’re working on things that affect them.  Build trust and relationships by solving problems together.  And hey, have fun with them when you can, because you’re all in the same boat together.
• Customer Management:  You do your work for some end user, whether it be to create a web page for users, provide a service in government, or offer food to the homeless.  Customer management isn’t just for the people behind the counter.  Getting to know your customers and managing your perspective and relationship with them will help you become more effective at doing your work (and get a leg up on the competition at the same time).
• Family/Close Friend Management:  Oh yes, this is a big one.  We have our work lives and we have our home lives.  Is it balanced?  Does your life partner/child/grandma know you’re alive?  Do you spend enough time being around those you love outside of the work place?  Your work is important, but your family takes care of you.  Make sure you take care of them back.
• Acquaintance Management:  They say it’s not the people you know that help you find new opportunities, but people that know people you know (friend of a friend type of situations).  Are you spending time building your network, whether it be for work or play?  Meeting new people?  Expanding your horizon and trying new things?

No matter who you are,  you manage people.  We don’t have time to do all types of management well, so deciding how to spend your time managing is important.

So I ask again, are you managing?

-Deborah Fike

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