There are many people who don't understand what managers do. Unfortunately, that includes some managers. Listed below are the top ten myths that non-managers and some managers believe incorrectly about management.
1. You have to yell a lot
Smart managers don't yell a lot. Yes, sometimes it is necessary, but those times are few and far between. As a manager, if you find you are doing a lot of yelling you should investigate why. Is it because people aren't doing what you tell them to do? If so, make sure the instructions you are giving are clear to them. It doesn't matter if they are clear to you; they have to be clear to the person you want to do the task.Many times speaking softly can cause the other person to have to listen more closely. That stops them from talking and changes the tone of the conversation.
2. Managers don't do anything
Many employees think their managers don't do anything because they never see the manager doing anything but wandering around and talking to people. They don't recognize that managers work just as hard, if not harder, than their employees. They just work on different tasks.When you see a manager "standing around talking" he or she may be getting clarification of goals and objectives. They may be discussing ways to improve cooperation with another department. Or they may be working to build up an employee's morale. Much of what managers do doesn't look like work, but it is just as difficult to do well as any task being done by their employees.
And any managers who became managers because they believe that being a manager means they don't have to do anything will find themselves demoted or fired pretty quickly.
3. It's all about meeting goals and hitting targets
Metrics and KPI are the numbers businesses use to measure progress toward goals. The important thing to remember is that the goals are what is important, not the measurements. If you "hit your numbers" every time, you may still not achieve your goals. Don't get lost in the counting. Instead, keep your eye on the target. If you're meeting your numbers, but not getting to your goals, take a look at what's wrong with the numbers.4. You can't be fair if you want to keep your top people
Fair doesn't mean equal. You have to treat all your employees fairly, but that doesn't mean you treat them the same. Top performers will get the most rewards. They have earned them. Where fairness comes in is in how you treat all the employees. If you have a policy that everyone has to be at their desk at 8AM sharp and you look away when a top performer comes in at 8:30, but you reprimand someone else who comes in at 8:10. That's not fair. And that kind of favoritism will quickly undermine your effectiveness as a manager.5. Managers are just planners
Yes, good managers do a lot of planning. It's one of the four key elements of Management 101. But it's not all they do. After the plan is in place, managers have to track progress against the plan and take corrective action if there is a deviation.6. Managers make more money
In many cases this is true, but the trend is changing. Many companies are realizing that management is a different skill, but not necessarily a better one. Technical employees, especially in technology companies, are frequently paid more than their managers. This most often occurs with senior technologists and more junior, front-line managers, but can occur almost anywhere in the hierarchy.7. It's hard to become a manager, but easy when you get there
See #2 above. The people who believe that it's easy after you become a manager don't understand the difficulty and complexity of management.On the other hand, it is not that hard to become a manager, especially if you start as a project manager.
