Get Back to Work - The Friday Rant

I worked with a manager at one time, who had a 5 year-old daughter. One day, he stopped in with her. During the visit, he had her demonstrate her management skills for me. He said, "Who are you?" She said, "I'm the boss." He said, "What am I supposed to do?" She said, "Get back to work!" That was cute and a direct reflection of how her father managed in real life. Anyone that manages or has managed employees with production deadlines, quality requirements, and customer expectations has shared this little girl's sentiment from time to time. The question is whether or not that manager has made it possible for that employee to get work done. There are varying degrees in the success of a manager based on their ability to remove obstacles and provide tools. Generally, the basis of this is listening, because some of the obstacles are employee perceptions that need a good revamp with some straight talk. This isn't about leadership, because leadership has nothing to do with managing work. They are two separate skill sets that don't always work together and are not always required. Let's suspend the incessant drone of advice and get back to the art of listening, observing and managing work processes. It isn't that hard, or I would not have been able to do it at the ripe old age of 19 working in restaurants. If you want your employees to get back to work, MANAGE THEM!