Are you a good manager/leader? How do you become that way?

[Anonymous]

Im a mid career fed in a supervisory position for the first time. I have supervised team before but in very different, non office settings. I really struggle with the balance of micromanaging and still ensuring that my team completes good quality work on time. I dont feel like I have alot of good models right now. What helped you becoming a strong leader and build/grow/work with a team that felt supported and was productive? Any ideas of how to learn this skill in a non-so ideal environment?

[Anonymous]

I had a really good boss, so that helped. My company had management training; doesn't yours?

Also, a lot of it is just the Golden Rule. Treat your subordinates how you would like to be treated. Praise publicly, criticize privately. Give regular feedback.

Do you have good systems in place? That's key as well.

[Anonymous]

I’m a fed supervisor and a woman and get great feedback. Give direction, meet them where they are, let them show and grow their strengths, praise the team always, have their back no matter what. I build the team so I am comfortable with this last one. Meet with them frequently offer yourself as a resource ask them what they want from their job and how they want to grow. Keep calm and shield them from the political BS - it’s your job to manage that. Treat them how you would want to be treated. For those that offer it, ask them about their personal lives, they are humans in a tough environment. Just writing and asking this tells me you’re on the right path!

[Anonymous]

First question should be are they capable of getting the job done well?

[Anonymous]

Being a fed supervisor is way different than being a good leader.

You can't actually fire someone so how can you be a good leader?

Just my take as a business owner watching my husband attempt to manage the absolute worst people.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Being a fed supervisor is way different than being a good leader.

You can't actually fire someone so how can you be a good leader?

Just my take as a business owner watching my husband attempt to manage the absolute worst people.

I worked in the federal government for 8 years. It was not different than my F500 corporate job in terms of the proportion of excellent/average/slacker employees.

I saw a few people get fired at both places. Mostly lower levels. For violating workplace policies and stealing things (computers) to get cash.

When people talk crap about government workers it discourages quality people from applying.

I never heard the expression "good enough for government work" until I moved away from DC. And ironically it was in the context of the government bailing out a "too big to fail" corporation that had mismanaged its private sector financials.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Being a fed supervisor is way different than being a good leader.

You can't actually fire someone so how can you be a good leader?

Just my take as a business owner watching my husband attempt to manage the absolute worst people.

I worked in the federal government for 8 years. It was not different than my F500 corporate job in terms of the proportion of excellent/average/slacker employees.

I saw a few people get fired at both places. Mostly lower levels. For violating workplace policies and stealing things (computers) to get cash.

When people talk crap about government workers it discourages quality people from applying.

I never heard the expression "good enough for government work" until I moved away from DC. And ironically it was in the context of the government bailing out a "too big to fail" corporation that had mismanaged its private sector financials.

Interesting. My husband couldn't fire anyone. Not even the guy that stopped showing up for work. That guy DID eventually get placed on leave for his second major harassment claim.

He had to find creative ways to get people out of the org like supporting their transfers to other organizations.

[Anonymous]

There is a balance and you’ll find it. You might have to do some micromanaging before you figure out whether the work is getting done and who is good at their jobs.

I’m a decade in and I think managing got easier when they were all people that I hired. There was always a struggle with people who had been here before I came on.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m a fed supervisor and a woman and get great feedback. Give direction, meet them where they are, let them show and grow their strengths, praise the team always, have their back no matter what. I build the team so I am comfortable with this last one. Meet with them frequently offer yourself as a resource ask them what they want from their job and how they want to grow. Keep calm and shield them from the political BS - it’s your job to manage that. Treat them how you would want to be treated. For those that offer it, ask them about their personal lives, they are humans in a tough environment. Just writing and asking this tells me you’re on the right path!

This is great advice. I'll add - be clear about what you want so people can do what you want. Being new is a great time to set really clear expectations like "here is how I like to receive information" or "these are the things I need to approve and these are the things you can just take care of". People appreciate not having to guess.

Because it can be hard to reward good work with bonuses in government, ask people what kind of awards they prefer. Some people like time off, some people are looking for the next opportunity and want a detail or introduction, some people love (or hate) a formal award presentation.

[Anonymous]

One of the toughest career transitions is moving from being a strong individual contributor to becoming an effective manager. This is a challenge many leaders face, and it can be especially important for women stepping into leadership roles.
Success as an employee often comes from doing the work exceptionally well. Success as a leader comes from empowering others to do it. That requires a mindset shift, from doing to delegating, from controlling to mentoring.
Strong female leaders create environments where their teams can thrive. They coach, provide clear feedback, and build capable teams rather than trying to do everything themselves.
If a team isn’t succeeding, the responsibility ultimately sits with the leader to improve the system, support their people, and develop talent. The women who make this shift, who focus on mentoring, empowering, and building strong teams, don’t just manage well

[Anonymous]

PPs have made some great points, especially from setting clear expectations, meeting people where they are, and the mindset shift to from individual contributor to delegating and empowering.

I'm a fed supervisor with a team of seven, and I find that a hands-off approach (being there to support when needed but not micromanage) works best. I have biweekly 1:1s where we discuss work progress, but also check in about personal lives if they feel comfortable doing so. We also have regular team meetings. I try to be as laid back as possible as long as the work is getting done well. The team is human first before they're employees, and have processed the insanity of the past year in different ways.

Our whole team received RIF notices almost a year ago which were rescinded at the last minute, so morale is still shaky, but leadership support has brought us through. The uncertainty did a number on our collective mental health though, and I've given a lot of grace while still maintaining minimum expectations. One person on the team was really struggling and I had to have a performance discussion, but things got better by the end of last year.

I like the support of my own senior leadership chain, but I strongly dislike some elements of micromanagement as well as the tendency towards authoritarianism and often putting the work product above the team's overall wellbeing. I buffer my own team from that as much as possible, but it's gotten to a point where I'm seeking to get out due to the effect on my mental health. I will try to make the transition as smooth as possible.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I had a really good boss, so that helped. My company had management training; doesn't yours?

Also, a lot of it is just the Golden Rule. Treat your subordinates how you would like to be treated. Praise publicly, criticize privately. Give regular feedback.

Do you have good systems in place? That's key as well.

I had a manager I loved who coached me to be his successor and this is what he always told me. Also, consider managers you’ve admired and disliked. What about them did you admire? What about others didn’t you like?

Treat people how you’d like to be treated. Lead by example (don’t ask them to do anything you wouldn’t do and work harder than you expect your team to work). Keep an open door. Take the time to get to know your team personally, not just as employees (coffee and lunch are great ways to do this).

[Anonymous]

An usually good manager is both respected and liked. However, go for respected. Approach your manager's ob from that direction. If you're liked by most or some, that's just a bonus.

[Anonymous]

Lots of good advice. One thing I learned is to not ignore the problem employee. Everyone knows and they watch to see how you deal with that person. It may mean intensive coaching, training, suggesting/looking for other opportunities more in line with their strengths (ie details or other jobs). If none of that works don't ignore it. My biggest issue was getting MY management to support my taking action bc that meant they had to get involved. Management often means spending 90% of your time on 10% of your people unfortunately.

[Anonymous]

Treating people how you want to be treated is a terrible idea. I did the Leadership Challenge recently and my staff core values are exact opposite of mine. It opened my eyes I cant really lead them how I would want to be led