Managing People: New Series

This week, I'm sharing a new series on an incredibly important topic: the management of people. Yep. It's a big one. People are complex and unique creatures - a wily bunch, not easily managed. Whether you're a veteran manager or a first-timer, I'm hoping to offer some in-depth advice and strategies for making the process a whole lot easier.

My Journey

As many of you know, I recently joined OfficeArrow as the Senior Content Manager. Prior to this, I was working as an Executive Assistant in a small wealth management firm. Big change, right? I had been building my own website, The Executive Assistant's Toolbox, for almost a year when the folks here at OfficeArrow discovered me. And though my writing style and my "vision" perfectly matched what the company needed, my management abilities were certainly not a selling point.

Before working as an EA, I actually worked as an Assistant Manager for a large financial institution. So I do have some management experience. And yet, I hesitate to call it "good" experience. You see, my days in management were always a struggle. I was always so overloaded with tasks and the daily flow of busy work, I rarely had time to actually manage. I figured that, if we got through a day without a major meltdown, I was doing pretty well. I never helped develop my team. I never worked on developing my own managerial skills. I simply did my job and expected that others were doing theirs. Not exactly experience to rely on.

So, this new role has proven to be incredibly challenging. I now oversee our team of writers, which at present consists of 3 independent contractors and 1 full-time staff writer, all of which work remotely. I am also working remotely for the first time in my life, since I currently live in California and OA Headquarters are located in Atlanta. You might guess that stepping into this role has been a bit overwhelming.

Recently, my manager (who happens to be an excellent role model) had a really wonderful suggestion: If I'm struggling with this, surely some of our readers are as well. Whether you're supervising one other person or managing an entire office, you probably face many similar frustrations. Since I love writing and research, my manager suggested that I develop a series for OfficeArrow, focusing on how to manage people. Then, I would have a great excuse to learn more on the topic, implement some new techniques, and document my progress along the way.

What fun! Of course, I jumped at the opportunity. So, today is the first day of my Managing People series. Below, you'll find a short outline of the topics I'll be covering in the coming days.

1. Communication: You Get What You Give

2. Project and Task Management: Who's Back is the Monkey Really On?

3. Developing Your Team: My Success is Your Success is Our Success

4. Addressing Performance Issues: Yes, It's Hard

5. Giving Recognition: The Fun Part

Now, it's worthwhile noting that this project, a suggestion given to me by my manager, is an example of an excellent way to help develop employees. When I came to my boss with my problem (I'm struggling with managing these people) he didn't simply give me some advice and send me on my way. Instead, he gave me an interesting activity that required me to do the work. As you may know, most people learn much better from doing rather than hearing. So, by having to research and try out new techniques for myself, I can learn what works well for me, rather than simply being told what to do. In effect, my manager offered me my first piece of great managerial advice: to help develop the skills of your employees, don't do the work for them - encourage them to take action for themselves. Find ways to engage them. Don't simply take on their problems as your own.

I hope you'll join me for this informative new series. I'll be doing the research and putting these techniques into practice along the way. I'll be sharing my experiences and I hope you'll do the same.