Artful management doesn’t just happen. It requires both being and doing on the part of the person who is managing. Take a look at the following list of blocks to artful management and see which ones are holding YOU back from the success you seek.
Artful management doesn’t just happen. It requires both being and doing on the part of the person who is managing. Who you are as a human being matters as much as—or more than—your skill set. Everything about you plays a significant role in how you deal with the folks who report to you: your personality, your fears, your preferences, your faults, your health. Take a look at the following list of blocks to artful management and see which ones are holding YOU back from the success you seek.
Low self-esteem
If you feel badly about yourself, unworthy of success and happiness, or inadequate for your job, you’re going to have a difficult time presenting yourself as a confident, capable leader others will want to respect and follow.
Insecurity
Constantly feeling shaky about your professional skills, talents, and relationships makes you vulnerable in ways that can undermine your career as well as your current position.
Past history
Whether it be childhood baggage or a professional misstep, your past history can color your present experience if left unresolved.
Need to control
If you are trying to control your staff and/or peers by micromanaging them, manipulating them, or squashing them, figure out why you need to engage in such unhealthy behavior that serves no one.
Fear
People do not do their best work burdened by fear: fear of losing their jobs, fear of other people, fear of the work itself, fear of being stuck.
Envy
Crippling beyond words, envy destroys relationships. Know and accept that someone will always be smarter than you, more creative than you, quicker than you, more popular than you.
Lack of motivation
It’s tough to be an artful manager if you’re not motivated to grow and inspire both yourself and others. If this describes you, then dig deep for the root cause of the blahs.
Personality quirks or disorders
Your personality has a lot to do with how much success you experience at work. Don’t blow off those seemingly minor oddities that irritate others much more than you realize. And if you suffer from a diagnosable disorder, get the help you need.
Job fatigue
Determine whether or not it’s time to explore other professional options or simply time to refresh yourself by taking a long overdue vacation, signing up for a course, or putting in fewer hours at the office.
Short sightedness
As a manager, it’s wise to make decisions based upon the long haul rather than the immediacy of the moment. Consider the big picture in terms of relationships, programs, budget, and company mission.
Turf issues
Understand that you really don’t own anything or anyone. You don’t own your staff, your office, your boss, your position. You’re not entitled to these either. They are simply on loan to you so you can do a job.
Desire to coast
When you feel like coasting on a regular basis, it’s time to pack up and leave. Managers who coast don’t serve their people or the company at large. Deciding to take it easy for a couple of hours to refuel is one thing; choosing to shun responsibility day after day is quite another.
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