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What is the hardest thing about being a manager?
I would really like to be a manager or CEO one day. What is the hardest part about managing a team? What do you like best about it?
Thank you! #technology #management #leadership #human-resources
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72 answers
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Jason’s Answer
The hardest part of managing a team is TIME. You want to spend time communicating and giving lots and lots of feedback to the team on final product. Unfortunately, your role as a Sr. Leader will pull you in directions that may not allow you to see that final product or watch your team work as closely as you like (budgets, shareholders, press, strategy sessions with your boss, etc.) The best advice I got for leadership was a 5 step process and it has served me well: 1. Set Clear Expectations--no one can get there if they don't know where they are going, 2. Educate to those Expectations-- you have to SHOW THEM what success looks like, 3, Hold the Team Accountable--celebrate the wins and learn from the failures, but don't ignore them 4. Be Consistent in your Leadership--they should be able to anticipate your moves because you are so consistent, and when you are not, make sure you tell them why, and 5. Reward and Recognize--if you want good performance you have to provide specific, immediate, and meaningful feedback to see it repeated. Hope this helps!
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Doug’s Answer
Being a manager can be challenging for many reasons. Managing different personalities can be a challenge. One of the biggest challenges for me has been keeping work/life balance. Being a manager may require you to always have your phone on during off hours which may upset your family members. This is where you have to create trust with your teams and delegate duties so that you are able to disconnect when needed.
I completely agree!
Jeniffer Palma
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Robert’s Answer
For me, the hardest thing about managing a team is the differences in opinions and knowing that you are LEADING and not ORDERING. I was really young when I was put into a management position. I thought this meant I was the "boss" and people would listen to me simply because i had a title attached to my name. Your team has to trust you, they have to respect you, and most of all, they need to feel respected and trusted as well. Value their input and opinions, and i have no doubt you'll make a great leader someday. Great question.
Totally agree, Robert. Listening, empowering, and building trust are key to great management.
John Hendrickson
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Jeff’s Answer
The biggest challenge is to learn to adapt your coaching style to what fits best for your direct reports. It would be great if you could just say Do X, Do Y. then they get done. However, that is rarely the case. You may have one employee who does a great job, but you need to give them very clear, very detailed instructions. Another employee tends to lose focus and not do the task by the deadlines, so for that person you need to learn to constantly follow up and set short terms tasks so you know that they are working on the project efficiently and able to complete by the deadline. Another employee you realize after working with just isn't a good fit and you need to let them go. So learning how to manage a variety of employees and also to identify what works best for each employee is most challenging.
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Sanjeeva’s Answer
There are many challenges being a manager of people.
The word people, many work environments are very diverse and there are many different opinions and work styles.
Therefore finding a common ground that works for the team to achieve the objectives set forth is a tough and important one.
As a people manager, it’s important to let people that report to you or look up to you to grow into their role and feel empowered.
There are times when you want to step in and advice and course correct however for the betterment of the person it helps to let them figure it out through experience, both good and bad. You have to use common sense at times and jump in if something bad is going to happen to your project or team, however less management the better.
Finally it’s all about the environment you create, it’s important to create one where your people challenge you and are free to share their opinions about doing best for the team.
The word people, many work environments are very diverse and there are many different opinions and work styles.
Therefore finding a common ground that works for the team to achieve the objectives set forth is a tough and important one.
As a people manager, it’s important to let people that report to you or look up to you to grow into their role and feel empowered.
There are times when you want to step in and advice and course correct however for the betterment of the person it helps to let them figure it out through experience, both good and bad. You have to use common sense at times and jump in if something bad is going to happen to your project or team, however less management the better.
Finally it’s all about the environment you create, it’s important to create one where your people challenge you and are free to share their opinions about doing best for the team.
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Ryan’s Answer
Hi Ali,
I started managing people early on in my career. It started in the Marines and continued through the last 20 years of my career and I have been a student and teacher of conscious leadership. But in the beginning, I discovered that managing a team is a complex and nuanced task. One of the most challenging aspects was learning to balance the multiple responsibilities that came with the role. I had to prioritize my time effectively and make decisions that impacted not only my team but also the larger organization.
In my experience, dealing with conflict is another tough aspect of being a manager. I learned that I needed to be diplomatic and empathetic in my approach, using the communication skills I developed during my time in the Marines to create a positive work environment.
Moreover, motivating and engaging employees was a constant challenge. I had to find ways to inspire my team, provide constructive feedback, and recognize their achievements, all while managing diverse personalities. I found that adapting my leadership style to accommodate individual differences helped create an inclusive atmosphere.
Another significant aspect of my managerial role was developing employees, which involved identifying their strengths and weaknesses and providing targeted support and guidance. This process was challenging but rewarding, as I could see the positive impact it had on the team members.
As a manager, I also had to make tough decisions that affected the entire team and organization. These decisions were often emotionally challenging, but my experience in the Marines and my study of conscious leadership taught me to approach these situations with resilience and clarity.
Lastly, maintaining a work-life balance was another challenge I faced. I learned that it was essential to strike a balance between my professional and personal life, especially when dealing with high workloads and being responsible for my team's well-being.
I started managing people early on in my career. It started in the Marines and continued through the last 20 years of my career and I have been a student and teacher of conscious leadership. But in the beginning, I discovered that managing a team is a complex and nuanced task. One of the most challenging aspects was learning to balance the multiple responsibilities that came with the role. I had to prioritize my time effectively and make decisions that impacted not only my team but also the larger organization.
In my experience, dealing with conflict is another tough aspect of being a manager. I learned that I needed to be diplomatic and empathetic in my approach, using the communication skills I developed during my time in the Marines to create a positive work environment.
Moreover, motivating and engaging employees was a constant challenge. I had to find ways to inspire my team, provide constructive feedback, and recognize their achievements, all while managing diverse personalities. I found that adapting my leadership style to accommodate individual differences helped create an inclusive atmosphere.
Another significant aspect of my managerial role was developing employees, which involved identifying their strengths and weaknesses and providing targeted support and guidance. This process was challenging but rewarding, as I could see the positive impact it had on the team members.
As a manager, I also had to make tough decisions that affected the entire team and organization. These decisions were often emotionally challenging, but my experience in the Marines and my study of conscious leadership taught me to approach these situations with resilience and clarity.
Lastly, maintaining a work-life balance was another challenge I faced. I learned that it was essential to strike a balance between my professional and personal life, especially when dealing with high workloads and being responsible for my team's well-being.
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Phoebe’s Answer
The hardest thing being a manager is letting an employee go for underperforming after you have tried everything to keep them afloat in vain. It leaves you thinking , is there anything else that I left out that could have been done to save them? But at the end of the day hard decisions have to be done!
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Mauro’s Answer
Being a manager is rewarding. You can help people grow, coach and inspire them. Because no person is the same, there is also a lot of learning involved. The toughest part of the job is having to make decisions that could negatively impact people's lives (e.g. letting people go), especially during tough times.
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James’s Answer
The biggest challenge a new manager faces is delegation. A new manager has to transition from focusing on their own output to focusing on the output of their staff. Many people are promoted to a manager position because they are good at their job and have developed knowledge and expertise that allows them to produce very high quality output. Those skills and that experience has nothing to do with managing people.
The shift to producing good work to teaching other how to produce good work is critical. Your team can produce multiple times the amount of work you can produce on your own. Training, mentoring, delegation and holding people accountable are tools that a successful manager uses.
It will be easy to fall into a common trap "I'll just do that task myself because it's faster and easier than teaching one of my staff". Trust me, managers fall into that trap all of the time. Of course this is exactly the wrong approach as it removes the opportunity to train and mentor staff and the only outcomes is that the manager themselves will have to continue to perform the task because no one else knows how to. So this is another difficulty of becoming a people manager, you have to give your staff some leeway to learn what you are already an expert at. This can be frustrating, but remember, you learned many lessons along the way and your staff will need to learn those same lessons as well. You can train and mentor them, but just like you they will do most of their learning on-the-job, so you have to give them space to learn for themselves.
The shift to producing good work to teaching other how to produce good work is critical. Your team can produce multiple times the amount of work you can produce on your own. Training, mentoring, delegation and holding people accountable are tools that a successful manager uses.
It will be easy to fall into a common trap "I'll just do that task myself because it's faster and easier than teaching one of my staff". Trust me, managers fall into that trap all of the time. Of course this is exactly the wrong approach as it removes the opportunity to train and mentor staff and the only outcomes is that the manager themselves will have to continue to perform the task because no one else knows how to. So this is another difficulty of becoming a people manager, you have to give your staff some leeway to learn what you are already an expert at. This can be frustrating, but remember, you learned many lessons along the way and your staff will need to learn those same lessons as well. You can train and mentor them, but just like you they will do most of their learning on-the-job, so you have to give them space to learn for themselves.
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Peregrin’s Answer
Ali,
I have managed people for a very long time at this point. What makes managing hard or easy is going to be very different for the different styles of managers. That said, I'm a pretty big introvert, which can be a challenge, but work was always an area that I could put it in perspective, that this was "for my job". Because of this, the human / people side of managing has always been the hardest for me. I have always had an open door policy and encourage my team (direct or skip-level when I was more senior in my management level) to come talk to me about anything they needed to.
When they came to me about work, that was easy, clinical, and focused. When they came with issues happening at home, those were the uncomfortable conversations, where I had to employ all the active listening and empathy skills that I had, as my core personally was rebelling against my role as a manager.
What I have enjoyed most about managing is seeing my team members excel and succeed in their careers beyond the time they worked for me. I've been very fortunate to have some incredibly capable people work for me, seeing them grow beyond their role in my team and succeeding as their career has grown is simply an awesome feeling.
Hope that was helpful as you look towards your own future. Best of luck.
I have managed people for a very long time at this point. What makes managing hard or easy is going to be very different for the different styles of managers. That said, I'm a pretty big introvert, which can be a challenge, but work was always an area that I could put it in perspective, that this was "for my job". Because of this, the human / people side of managing has always been the hardest for me. I have always had an open door policy and encourage my team (direct or skip-level when I was more senior in my management level) to come talk to me about anything they needed to.
When they came to me about work, that was easy, clinical, and focused. When they came with issues happening at home, those were the uncomfortable conversations, where I had to employ all the active listening and empathy skills that I had, as my core personally was rebelling against my role as a manager.
What I have enjoyed most about managing is seeing my team members excel and succeed in their careers beyond the time they worked for me. I've been very fortunate to have some incredibly capable people work for me, seeing them grow beyond their role in my team and succeeding as their career has grown is simply an awesome feeling.
Hope that was helpful as you look towards your own future. Best of luck.
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Kedar’s Answer
This is a great question and comes up many a times, not only in the minds of folks wanting to explore a managerial role but also in the minds of managers who have been in the role for a considerable amount of time.
A lot of responsibilities that a manager handles are intangible i.e., its not quantifiable as easily as a document completed, a review submitted etc.
Its important for a manager to appreciate this fact and come up with innovative ways to feel content about the role that he/she is playing.
The hardest thing about being a manager, besides ofcourse justifying his/her role to the senior management, is about trying to make a difference to the team, the organization and ofcourse to the customers as applicable.
e.g. if a team member is pursuing a particular certification in his field of interest, the manager should be able to work with the team member, try and carve out some extra time for him/her to pursue the certification etc etc. The manager should be able to consider this as a job well done by being a part of the learning journey of the team member.
In short, the hardest thing about being a manager is to be able to step into the shoes of his/her team members, be their friend and guide and work with them to achieve professional goals. If this aspect is taken care of then the other responsibilities towards the team, organization and the customer are easily manageable. Keep the team motivated and you would have ensure a near perfect ecosystem.
A lot of responsibilities that a manager handles are intangible i.e., its not quantifiable as easily as a document completed, a review submitted etc.
Its important for a manager to appreciate this fact and come up with innovative ways to feel content about the role that he/she is playing.
The hardest thing about being a manager, besides ofcourse justifying his/her role to the senior management, is about trying to make a difference to the team, the organization and ofcourse to the customers as applicable.
e.g. if a team member is pursuing a particular certification in his field of interest, the manager should be able to work with the team member, try and carve out some extra time for him/her to pursue the certification etc etc. The manager should be able to consider this as a job well done by being a part of the learning journey of the team member.
In short, the hardest thing about being a manager is to be able to step into the shoes of his/her team members, be their friend and guide and work with them to achieve professional goals. If this aspect is taken care of then the other responsibilities towards the team, organization and the customer are easily manageable. Keep the team motivated and you would have ensure a near perfect ecosystem.
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Devita’s Answer
The hardest thing about being a manager is being able to influence people who have been doing the bare minimum to get by to pursue the potential you see in them. I try to establish a foundation with my employees from the beginning so that they understand my intentions are always to ensure that they have what hey need to succeed. I share my experiences and downfalls and how I've overcome them to push my own limits.
Another thing that is hard is watching people self sabotage and miss the opportunity to take their career to the next level because of their mental and emotional boundaries. As a leader I realize it's more of a career counseling interaction more than anything. What can I do to help them be comfortable with being uncomfortable? How can I make sure they are better employees after interacting with me than they were before?
With that being said, it's so rewarding when I have actually been able to get my employees to the point that they see their own greatness. To see them push themselves after working with them helps me hold myself accountable as well. It forces me to push myself so that I can continue to do the same with my employees.
Another thing that is hard is watching people self sabotage and miss the opportunity to take their career to the next level because of their mental and emotional boundaries. As a leader I realize it's more of a career counseling interaction more than anything. What can I do to help them be comfortable with being uncomfortable? How can I make sure they are better employees after interacting with me than they were before?
With that being said, it's so rewarding when I have actually been able to get my employees to the point that they see their own greatness. To see them push themselves after working with them helps me hold myself accountable as well. It forces me to push myself so that I can continue to do the same with my employees.
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Amit’s Answer
I don't think there is one universal hardest thing about being a manager (or leader -- as I'd like you to start thiking about that role), mainly because different people have different natural strenghts. But here are few things many managers/leaders will struggle with:
1. Delegation : Especially if you've been a high-performings individual contributor, it's extremely difficult to delegate and trust people to come up with the goods.
2. Inspiring people: Managers have certain amount of power, but if you want to build a high-functioning, stable team, in this competitive market where your reportees can easily find new jobs, it's not the power of the role that will be of use, but rather your ability to inspire people into being the best they can be.
3. Managing Conflict: Good teams can break due to interpersonal conflicts. And a good manager/leader will need to keep an eye on them, and not to avoid them, but to address them in the right way. There is a lot of literature on this. If you are interested in leadership, you should start reading about this, and even practise in your relationships.
4. Earning trust and respect of the team: This is about your core-values. It's easier to make people fear you, but way harder to make them respect you, and hardest to make them trust you.
5. Prioritizing: Unlike an individual contributor, a manage/leader has to juggle multiple conflicting priorities all the time, and they need to keep a track of changing realities, and thus changing priorities, and proactively change course. It's a breadth job, not a depth job, so it needs a different set of habits.
These are just a few "hard" things about being a manager/leader. I'm sure different people will pick up different ones. And you may be good at a few of them so they won't even be hard for you. So really you need to ask yourself, "what do *I* struggle with?"
1. Delegation : Especially if you've been a high-performings individual contributor, it's extremely difficult to delegate and trust people to come up with the goods.
2. Inspiring people: Managers have certain amount of power, but if you want to build a high-functioning, stable team, in this competitive market where your reportees can easily find new jobs, it's not the power of the role that will be of use, but rather your ability to inspire people into being the best they can be.
3. Managing Conflict: Good teams can break due to interpersonal conflicts. And a good manager/leader will need to keep an eye on them, and not to avoid them, but to address them in the right way. There is a lot of literature on this. If you are interested in leadership, you should start reading about this, and even practise in your relationships.
4. Earning trust and respect of the team: This is about your core-values. It's easier to make people fear you, but way harder to make them respect you, and hardest to make them trust you.
5. Prioritizing: Unlike an individual contributor, a manage/leader has to juggle multiple conflicting priorities all the time, and they need to keep a track of changing realities, and thus changing priorities, and proactively change course. It's a breadth job, not a depth job, so it needs a different set of habits.
These are just a few "hard" things about being a manager/leader. I'm sure different people will pick up different ones. And you may be good at a few of them so they won't even be hard for you. So really you need to ask yourself, "what do *I* struggle with?"
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Naveen’s Answer
"Balancing individual job responsibilities with time spent overseeing others": 32%. My impression? Fundamental but true: the classic balancing act all new managers must come to terms with. Hold tightly onto too much yourself and you get little done; delegate everything and you'll bury -- and alienate -- your staff."Supervising friends or former peers": 19%. Always tricky when promoted from within an organization. Usually not an issue if you come from outside.
"Motivating the team": 17%. Indeed, a challenge to managers at all levels. Many managers find it can be 44490f13682d" style="color: rgb(0, 56, 145);" target="_blank">hard to motivate but frustratingly easy to demotivate.
"Prioritizing projects": 16%. Often takes time, experience and judgment to learn to separate the wheat from the chaff.
"Meeting higher performance expectations": 16%. And very different expectations, focused not on individual achievement but on eliciting high-quality work from others -- a completely changed orientation.
The survey also contained 10 "essential tips for new managers." Following are my three favorites, along with brief commentary.
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David’s Answer
The hardest thing about being a manager. Really good question. Probably the hardest thing about being a manager is letting go through empowering others and allowing them to make mistakes in order to learn. Managers are evaluated, compensated and judged on the performance of their team. In order to develop a good team, you must empower your team members. The challenge is how do you empower people and allow them to make mistakes without costing you and the overall team. I believe the key is over communicating and understanding the true reason for these mistakes. You should not be afraid to directly engage the employee on the mistake without destroying their confidence and empowerment. Self-discovery is the best process to learn from mistakes so working to provide feedback in a way this is not mean but allows the employee to self-discovery the mistake and give them a path forward. Managers today have to care for their employees but care enough to address mistakes in performance early and in a manor that improves performance, not destroy employees.
Donna Curran
Customer Care Manager New Customer Experience Team at AT&T
27
Answers
Updated
Donna’s Answer
For me the most difficult part of being a manager is delegating. There are not enough hours in the day to get everything I am required to do along with the things I want to do. Since I am ultimately responsible for my teams performance I find it necessary to be a part of every part of the process and not relinquishing control. It takes a long time for me to trust someone to handle tasks the way I would handle them. I was putting in way too many hours of overtime.
My favorite part in building relationships with my people, which helps me to ease back and let control slip to others from time to time.
My favorite part in building relationships with my people, which helps me to ease back and let control slip to others from time to time.
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Rebecca’s Answer
Thank you for your question. It’s really a good question.
To be a manager or a leader, the most challenging part and interesting part is on people.
Firstly, you would lead the team to meet the objectives of the company. It is part of your job how to put translate these objectives from the corporate level to your team level and communicate to your team effectively. Communication is always an key and essential element on management. You have to ensure your team has clear understanding and work together towards these objectives.
On the other hand, you would have review the performance of your team members on regular basis and give them constructive feedback. It is not easy. Sometimes, this may be a difficult conversation if the staff is under perform. You may need to do some coaching with the staff.
You also need to ensure the team can works together effectively and have the synergy. If there is any conflict between team members, you need to help to resolve it.
Hope this gives you some insights of a manager. Good Luck!
To be a manager or a leader, the most challenging part and interesting part is on people.
Firstly, you would lead the team to meet the objectives of the company. It is part of your job how to put translate these objectives from the corporate level to your team level and communicate to your team effectively. Communication is always an key and essential element on management. You have to ensure your team has clear understanding and work together towards these objectives.
On the other hand, you would have review the performance of your team members on regular basis and give them constructive feedback. It is not easy. Sometimes, this may be a difficult conversation if the staff is under perform. You may need to do some coaching with the staff.
You also need to ensure the team can works together effectively and have the synergy. If there is any conflict between team members, you need to help to resolve it.
Hope this gives you some insights of a manager. Good Luck!
