Managers lead. Leaders manage. But they have different horizons. Management leans into the present. Leadership into the future.
Leadership asks, “Where?” Management asks, “How?”
Managers succeed when they fulfill five responsibilities.
5 Daily Responsibilities of Managers
The responsibilities of managers center on people.
#1. Define and focus on what matters now.
The delivery of value requires the elimination of irrelevant behaviors. Distraction isn’t a nuisance. It’s an enemy that crushes organizations.
Never dance with distraction – defeat it with focus.
#2. Develop and maximize talent through coaching.
Management delivers results through people.
Coaching enables ownership, fulfillment, energy, and learning.
Read: Seven Ways Coaching-Managers Get Things Done
#3. Get out of the way while staying connected.
- Connect with top performers.
- Connect with under-utilized contributors.
- Avoid urgent trivialities.
- Help people tweak their own work. Don’t meddle.
- Honor behaviors that align with values.
- Walk around.
- Say thank you everywhere.
#4. Smooth the path to achievement.
Managers minimize friction.
- Eliminate duplication of effort.
- Minimize paperwork.
- Create systems that strengthen camaraderie.
Make hard work as effective and efficient as possible. First, do what matters most. Second, improve the way you do it.
#5. Lift people out of the weeds.
Busy people always drift into the weeds.
- Connect team members to stakeholders.
- Explain the big picture.
- Narrow scope.
- Focus on solutions.
- Ask, “What matters now?”
Bonus: Deal with issues others avoid. Others are waiting for you to call out the elephant in the room.
Management succeeds when people know what matters, why it matters, and how to succeed.
Clarity turns effort into achievement.
What’s on your list of daily responsibilities of managers?
Top 7 Frustrations of Middle Managers
What Are the Duties and Responsibilities of a Manager?
