Myths about Managing People
You were recently selected to be a manager in your company or organization, and you are terribly excited. You feel ready to take on this challenging new role, but also have concerns regarding some of the myths surrounding the job. It's true that there are many falsehoods floating around about what it takes to be a decent--and effective--supervisor. Once you have familiarized yourself with some of them, you will be in an even better position to fulfill your managerial duties.
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People Need Management
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One myth about managing people is that it is necessary at all. The logic goes that if employees were not strictly supervised by those in positions of authority, they would fail to do their jobs, or even engage in activities that are dangerous or hinderances to the company. However, many employees manage to perform their job functions just fine if their managers are out sick for a day, a week, or even several months. Others are naturally independent types who care about their jobs and would perform them well no matter who was or wasn't watching.
Managing Is Innate
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It is often assumed that if you know how to do a job well, you also have the ability to supervise people doing that job. This is why many employees with absolutely no management experience are promoted to high supervisory levels. However, performing a job and supervising are two separate skills--and one does not necessarily teach you the other. If you are given a management position that you feel ill-prepared for, take some courses in management or read relevant books to learn how to perform in your new role.
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Managing Is Static
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Another management myth is that once you know how to manage certain people in certain situations, there is no need to learn any more about management. This is patently false. Management is a constantly changing field, with diverse employee populations and new workplace rules that make it even more challenging. Following and experimenting with new developments in management techniques is necessary to excel in this role.
Managers Work Harder
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Finally, a pervasive myth in our culture today is the one that says the managers of other people work harder than those they manage. This is also untrue. While they often dictate, organize, and coordinate the work (or not, depending upon the competence of the manager), there is no proof that this job is any more difficult than that of the lower-level employees.
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References
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