This was originally written in August of 2017, I’ve had a chance to reflect more over the last year and plan to update the list over time
Inspired by Ben Horowitz’s Good Product Manager/ Bad Project Manager from 15 years ago, I thought I’d take a stab at writing my thoughts on what makes a good people manager vs. bad people manager after 4 years of management experience at a tech startup.
This is based on my personal experience, most of the bad cases noted here are crimes I’ve personally committed at some point during my career. Some of the these I still do, but hopefully writing them down will help me actively work on them.
Good managers put the team first. Bad managers put themselves first.
Good managers focus on growing the effectiveness of the entire team. Bad managers want to do it all by themselves.
Good managers takes the blame for their team, and shelters direct reports from blame and office politics. Bad managers throws the team under the bus.
Good managers don’t take credit for the achievement of the team and praises others in public for their contributions. Bad managers takes all the credit and passes on none of the praise.
Good managers keeps their ego in check. Bad managers work hard to preserve their ego, at all cost.
Good managers give timely constructive feedback. Bad managers sugar-coat and avoids hard feedback.
Good managers are not afraid to ask questions, even at the risk of sounding ignorant. Bad managers pretend to know it all.
Good managers are quick to admit being wrong when new information presents itself. Bad managers are never wrong, it’s the world that’s wrong!
Good managers show courage. Conflicts are viewed as an opportunity for learning and understanding. Bad managers avoid conflicts or hard conversations. The coward’s way is easier.
Good managers know the goals of their direct reports, and are always on the look out for opportunities to align team goals with the team’s growth. Bad managers view direct reports as a resource to be used.
Good managers works on the chores that no one else wants to do. Bad managers hands out the chores.
Good managers start with why. Bad managers start with what.
Good managers sets the context and trusts the team to execute. Bad managers micromanages all the things.
Good managers stays calm when situations get tough, instilling calm and safety in others. Bad managers yells at others, instilling fear and panic.
Good managers are Jedi Masters. Bad managers are Sith Lords.
Good managers listens first, talk last. Bad managers talks first, and never stops talking.
Good managers cares about achieving results. Bad managers cares about completing tasks.
Good managers randomizes himself, so the team can stay focused. Bad managers pushes tasks randomly to direct reports, randomizing the team.
Good managers avoids meetings without clear agenda. Bad managers keeps “busy” by going to one meeting after another.
Good managers makes themselves available for others. Bad managers are “too busy” for others.
Good managers keeps the environment fun for others. Bad managers rules with an iron fist.
Good managers operates on core principles and can exercise good judgement based on the situation. Bad managers operates on a strict set of rules, and solves all problems by creating more rules for others to follow
Good managers practices what they preach, while limiting the preaching. Bad managers talk the talk, but don’t walk the walk.
Good managers actively seeks feedback, and follows through with suggestions from the team. Bad managers are too afraid or ignorant to ask.
Good managers knows to fire fast and not let a poor performer or a bad fit drag the whole team down. Bad managers never fire, because it’s hard.
Good managers are not afraid to make hard decisions when the situation calls for it. Bad managers delay and pretend there are no problems.
Good managers works to preserves the dignity of others. Bad manager preserves the dignity of himself.
Good managers practices management like any other skill. Bad managers don’t realize there are actual skills associated with management.
A lot of these apply to leadership in general, regardless of if you are a people manager. I believe that everyone should strive to be more of a leader, which fundamentally comes from a combination of 1) being proactive, 2) having the desire to learn and 3) selflessness.
However, people management is more than just leadership because of the people part. As a manager, the people on my team come first and it’s my job to grow leadership among my direct reports. There are also many mundane but necessary parts of management like performance reviews, resource allocation, and managing your team’s backlog of tasks. So I think that leadership skills are necessary but not sufficient for the management role.
Further reading
Over the years, I’ve read a series of influential books that helped shape my perspective on leadership and management. Here they are in the order I first read them:
- The Speed of Trust
- How to Win Friends and Influence People
- The Effective Executive
- Good to Great
- The One Minute Manager
- Extreme Ownership
- The Hard Thing about Hard Things
Like what you read? Please share or let me know in the comments below.
I’m very curious about which points resonate most with you and which points are controversial or situational. I’m always looking out for ways to learn more!
