The Cranky Middle Manager Manifesto

Posted on 28. Dec, 2005 by Wayne in General

“… the firmest and most general ideas I have are those which have been born with me. They are naturally and wholly mine…since then I have established and fortified them by the authority of others and the sound arguments of the ancients with whom I found my judgment in agreement. These men have given me a firmer grip on my ideas and a fuller enjoyment and possession of them” Michel de Montaigne

Three Core Beliefs of the Cranky Middle Manager Show:

1) Like any walk of life, management can be a satisfying endeavour. You just can’t let the weasels get you down. Sometimes you need reminding of how to do it…and that there are others who feel the same way you do. Thousands of you, in fact. And bless you for listening and telling others.
2) You can’t manage to get out of bed in the morning, let alone a team of people, without a mission. One guest after the other has talked about it… do you know your mission? I’m beginning to feel that this is mine…
3) There is nothing new under the sun, and the universal truths are as true now as they ever were. Sometimes we just need to be reminded of them. That’s what I learned while doing my book, and it’s why I love to revisit tales of ancient history- the tenets of leadership and management aren’t much different than they were for the Greeks or Egyptians. Imhotep would still kick tail whether he was the Pharaoh’s Grand Vizier or a high-potential at GE. Skills are skills.

Four Disciplines of Management:

Whether you’re an individual contributor facing that first management job, or an old-timer, there are 4 disciplines to master if you want to be a complete asset to your company and your team:

1) Business Acumen- do you know how a business operates and how every department in the company contributes to it? What’s happening in your industry? Nothing senior management does makes a darned bit of sense without this view. Sadly, much of it still won’t, but at least you’ll know why.
2) Leadership- Can you influence people constructively? Can you embody your mission and values in how you work with your customers, your team and those above you on the food chain? Are you an ethical leader while still doing the right things for your career and mental health?
3) Project and Process Management- understanding how to get things done, seeing the connections and finding ways to improve them are critical to your progress as an employee and sanity. Step one is learning the basics. Step 2 is knowing you don’t have to know the rest of the steps by yourself- just help your people identify them. We always reserve the right to get smarter.
4) Communication Skills. Nothing is more critical to your career than your ability to communicate. We only do it 4 ways, we read, we write, we speak and we listen. That’s it, no short cuts, no other way around it. How well do we do these things dictates how we’re viewed by everyone from our employees to our bosses to our spouses. You’ll usually get immediate feedback from only one of those, and it’s usually the person who we spend the least amount of time and conscious thought communicating with.

In 6 months of doing this show, I’ve had a chance to hear a lot of people smarter than myself. It’s allowed me to distill the core beliefs about what it means to be a modern middle manager. Please post your thoughts..this is a work in progress. I look forward to more conversation about what we do and how we do it.

Meanwhile, I’ll continue to try and support the 3 key beliefs, and help myself-and you along with me- develop in the 4 disciplines of management.

Best wishes for a joyous new year.

Wayne