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Kevin Alexander's avatar

I have had far too many terrible managers over the years, but the ones that were good, made us want to run through walls for them.

Bad: not recognizing/respecting task autonomy. A lot of managers feel like they need to be lording over workers. Most just want to be left alone in peace to do their job. For my job specifically, it's sort of like being a firefighter; if I look like I'm not doing anything that's a tell that the operation is running smoothly. it's because the heavy lifting is already done. A lot of managers could never wrap their head around that, even when they knew better.

Good: Do what you say, and say what you mean. Before a Polar Vortex a few years ago (and OMG, why do I live somewhere that these are a thing?!), a manager came around and asked us what he thought we would need. He also convinced the airport to let us park in the garage for the duration of the cold snap (it's right across from the terminal).

Then he showed up in the middle of it, and made sure everything he said he'd deliver actually happened. Seems like a small deal, right? I cannot tell you how many times those promises have just been empty talk. Leadership 101: Words matter. Actions matter.

P.S. That garlic looks gooood!

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Marina Nitze's avatar

I constantly, and probably to my own detriment, repeat the phrase: "Can they eat you?" [as a worst case scenario]. Rather than ask if I can live with it, I ask: is it as bad as being eaten? And if the answer is no, I do the thing.

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