[closed] What is the toughest part about being a manager?

The toughest part of management is the people aspect. As a manager you are not only managing tasks but also people. instead of demanding that tasks get done you want to be more of a mentor. As s manager you want to be a positive leader that motivates and inspires your employees to succeed. The hard part is that people are inspired and motivated by different things and some people aren't motivated at all. You want to aspire to be a leader of your employers not managing your employees. I've been a manager for 3 years and as a manager there are a lot of tough decisions to be made. As a manager you will be the one responsible for hiring and firing employees. Try to be a compassionate boss but don't try to be best friends with your employees. You want them to respect you and not take advantage of you. You want to develop people instead and have your employees set goals to help them achieve.

Hi there, it's Ann!

It depends mostly on who you are as an individual :) Have you ever had a chance to take a look at your own personality? :)
There are 2 things (in fact, 2 main things, there are more than 2 factors only) to think of when managing people in a project or in a company. That is the task (performance) and human beings (relationships with others). As you can see, many leadership theories are developed based on these 2 basic elements.

The management style is much based on the characteristics of the industry you want to work. For example, in an engineering industry, managers might be task-oriented rather than people-oriented since the employees may expect their managers to focus on the tasks (and maybe they are too!) more. Of course the needs of employees MUST be taken into consideration but at a lower level. In contrast, the situation is opposite when it comes to the mental health care industry.

It's all about the combination of the 2 main factors. In my point of view, it is best to:
1. know exactly what industry you want to work in and its characteristics
2. determine the ratio of the 2 factors, how much should each of them weight?
3. list down the key skills/traits related to 2 big factors that the managers in such industry are required to have
4. develop your own plan to master those skills.

Of course in reality, things are much more complicated. Those mentioned above are just the most basic ones from my point of view. If you want to discuss more on it, please let me know.
Have a good day!

Hi Aimee,

Melissa is spot-on! I've found the most challenging aspect is the people part, especially in times of change. Honing your communication skills, your influence and change management skills and leadership qualities will be great assets to you. And know this . . . you will have mis-steps and it's okay. It's really about how your recover and move forward.

I've found great help in a curriculum by VitalSmarts. It really assisted me in becoming a better manager, coach, team mate and leader. Check them out!

Best wishes,
Phyllis