I am energized by working with people who have such good intentions in their leadership. It is so hard to be a leader today. The workforce is so much more diverse than at any other time and the demands on your time are more than ever before. Most management today is functional. The days of a manager with a clean desk waiting for people to come talk to him or her, or just wandering around looking over people’s shoulders are gone. Most managers I know are hard working and want to do the right thing by their people, just as they want their managers to do the right thing by them. Unfortunately, the front line and middle managers get caught in the squeeze of carrying out orders from the top to deliver results while trying to keep workers motivated to do it.
Often times it’s the little things managers can do to keep the machine rolling. Simple appreciation for work done by others and taking time to appreciate their own contribution can be hard to come by, but it is worth it in the long run. Encourage appreciation by peers to build teamwork as a stress reliever for all. And remember that a laugh a day can do wonders. Someone said after class today that they had gotten a few chuckles and they kind of needed it today. That felt like a standing ovation for me because it said what we did today was worthwhile.
