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Things to be prepared for/random advice for when you become a boss: - People will treat you differently because you’re their boss. - Yes, you can still be fri

by GavinB 14y ago

Things to be prepared for/random advice for when you become a boss: - People will treat you differently because you’re their boss. - Yes, you can still be friends with people who work for you. But the work relationship will always have to be taken into account. - You will have to delegate things that you would prefer to do yourself. It sucks, but you have to do it. - You will have to delegate things that no one wants to do. It sucks, but you have to do it. - You will have to put a dollar value on the efforts of other people. Some people will get more, and others will get less. Sorry! - You will be tempted to tell them about things that you hope will happen (e.g. “I think we’re going to be able to get you a nice raise this year”) Don’t do it. Either it won’t come through and they’ll be disappointed, or it will come through and they will have gotten their hopes up for even more. - You will be tempted to “give the squeaky wheel the grease”. Keep in mind that everyone wants things, but not everyone will speak up. - If someone just isn’t working out, you have to let them go. Remember that you’re not doing it for yourself, you’re doing it for everyone else on the team. They deserve a great team that works well together. - People who work for you want to check in on you to see how they’re doing. Some will say it, some won’t. They need to get feedback from you either way. - The second person who works for you is going to have different needs from the first person who works for you. - People who work for you need to know that you have their back. Sometimes this means fighting for proposals that you know will fail. - The happiness and career success of another human being are now your personal responsibility. You probably have more power than you immediately realize. Don't try to pretend it's not there. Use it responsibly, for the benefit of both the company and the individual. Just my experience, YMMV, etc, etc. Yes, there are probably some rare people who don't need management . . . but true cases of that are probably extremely rare. This is based on experience managing a small team in a large company. I'm sure being "the boss" rather than just "a boss" is probably even more extreme.

napoleond 14y ago
This is really valuable, thanks for taking the time to write it. As the sort of person who has a tendency to get caught up in small, nascent businesses (startups, I suppose ;) I've recently spent a lot of time either working for my friends or having my friends work for me. Knowing the difference is more important than I used to realise (especially as small, nascent "projects" become actual businesses) and managing the relationship (either as boss or underling, yet friend in each case) has its own learning curve.
smacktoward 14y ago
You will be tempted to tell them about things that you hope will happen (e.g. “I think we’re going to be able to get you a nice raise this year”) Don’t do it. Either it won’t come through and they’ll be disappointed, or it will come through and they will have gotten their hopes up for even more. I read a good book once by a defector from the Soviet military, explaining the lessons he'd learned as an officer on the other side of the iron curtain (this one: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inside_the_Soviet_Army http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inside_the_Soviet_Army). In it he described one thing he'd learned about how to lead people: Always try to remember the golden rule of controlling others -- NEVER PROMISE ANYONE ANYTHING! If you are able to do something for another person -- do it, without having made any promises. From this first rule there follows a second -- NEVER THREATEN ANYONE! You can punish someone and, if you consider it necessary, you should do so. But promises and threats simply weaken your authority as a commander. (The full text of that chapter from the book is here: http://militera.lib.ru/research/suvorov12/08.html http://militera.lib.ru/research/suvorov12/08.html) This is true in civilian life, too. Promises and threats are just wind that people blow when they can't do what they really want to do. Leaders with real power don't threaten to fire someone; they just fire them. They don't promise to give raises; they just give them. People understand this, and if you lean on promises and threats, it makes them subconsciously evaluate you as weak, ineffectual. Someone who it's not really necessary to listen to.

by GavinB 14y ago

napoleond 14y ago

This is really valuable, thanks for taking the time to write it. As the sort of person who has a tendency to get caught up in small, nascent businesses (startups, I suppose ;) I've recently spent a lot of time either working for my friends or having my friends work for me. Knowing the difference is more important than I used to realise (especially as small, nascent "projects" become actual businesses) and managing the relationship (either as boss or underling, yet friend in each case) has its own learning curve.

smacktoward 14y ago

You will be tempted to tell them about things that you hope will happen (e.g. “I think we’re going to be able to get you a nice raise this year”) Don’t do it. Either it won’t come through and they’ll be disappointed, or it will come through and they will have gotten their hopes up for even more. I read a good book once by a defector from the Soviet military, explaining the lessons he'd learned as an officer on the other side of the iron curtain (this one: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inside_the_Soviet_Army http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inside_the_Soviet_Army). In it he described one thing he'd learned about how to lead people: Always try to remember the golden rule of controlling others -- NEVER PROMISE ANYONE ANYTHING! If you are able to do something for another person -- do it, without having made any promises. From this first rule there follows a second -- NEVER THREATEN ANYONE! You can punish someone and, if you consider it necessary, you should do so. But promises and threats simply weaken your authority as a commander. (The full text of that chapter from the book is here: http://militera.lib.ru/research/suvorov12/08.html http://militera.lib.ru/research/suvorov12/08.html) This is true in civilian life, too. Promises and threats are just wind that people blow when they can't do what they really want to do. Leaders with real power don't threaten to fire someone; they just fire them. They don't promise to give raises; they just give them. People understand this, and if you lean on promises and threats, it makes them subconsciously evaluate you as weak, ineffectual. Someone who it's not really necessary to listen to.