Being a people manager isn’t for everyone. I recently had a conversation with someone who was really struggling.
They are a recent college grad with a teaching degree. Sure, they know the curriculum, they know theory, they know safety, but well, being a people manager isn’t for everyone. They just couldn’t get the students in line. As a result of this they got critical feedback from other teachers and administrators.
They were hired for their first job after graduation and didn’t know what to do. When it got hard for them, they didn’t feel supported by the other teachers or by the administration.
They just quit that new teaching job because they felt helpless and like they couldn’t control things in their classroom. During the first few weeks of teaching, they got feedback from peers that their classes were undisciplined and chaotic. After hearing the other teachers feedback, they decided that things just weren’t going their way. So they quit.
They quit.
Quit the job they had gone to 4 years of college to be qualified for. They quit their dream job. Quit a good paying job. A job that promised them a bright future with a pension for retirement and summers off. Quit without even beginning to tackle the payments on their student loans. Without another job. They just quit.
I could never do that.
But, this isn’t about me….After speaking to some of my friends who are teachers and school administrators, I found they all agreed. The one major thing lacking with recent college grad teachers is something called “classroom management”. According to my friends, if classroom management is discussed, it definitely isn’t taught enough.
So, if anyone reading this knows someone who is a school administrator, education specialist or involved with curriculum planning, please share this post with them. I think this is a real area of opportunity. It would be terrific if someone else recognized this. I am hoping this gap can be addressed in the education system. Training will help, so other new teachers aren’t discouraged and feel frustrated enough to walk away from their new classrooms. We need good teachers!
This got me to thinking. Being a people manager isn’t easy.
Whether someone is overseeing students in a classroom, or managing a team in the corporate world it is all managing. There are surprises. As a manager you never know what your are going to have to deal with. Similar to a student in a classroom, a corporate employee could have an outburst or be a bully or act appropriately or not complete a task. The manager has to deal with all of that, the same way a classroom teacher does.
Being a people manager isn’t for everyone. Some people end up as managers, but don’t have the skills and the knowledge to successfully manage a team.
But, I’m an optimist, I think people who want to learn, can learn and put their knowledge to work if they want to.
Said another way, people can learn how to be a good manager. Also, people can learn how to be a better manager. Like everything else, the amount of focus, and effort put into learning skills will help. Eager to become a better manager? Get training, sign up for courses, read articles, listen to podcasts. The result will be better outcomes.
Part of being a great people manager is building trust with direct reports by listening and having clear communications. Part of that is giving feedback. Recognizing and addressing employee performance. It is critical to the success of your team that each employee is meeting the performance standards. Specific tasks and responsibilities are outlined in the job description for each employee role. During the annual review process all employees should receive feedback on their performance. That includes both high performing employees and employees that don’t meet expectations. Learn more with High Performers Need Feedback Too, from the Harvard Business Review. This is a great read.
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