Are you really the best manager?

I feel didn’t get much from the management trainings I have received. It’s nice that my company is trying to support me, but “Leadership 101” or “A Good Manager Is A Good Coach”, while treating key subjects, could not really help me in my daily activities, facing my very specific collaborators. What to do then?

I have read books, like “The One Minute Manager” or “The 7 habits…” and they made me realize how much I needed to put in place some other ways to organize myself, to treat my priorities, to communicate and delegate… I have browsed the web a little and I have found out that what would be good in my situation is a coaching or a mentoring. I need something practical & especially designed for me. I need to be followed over the course of several weeks, a few months tops. I can’t just learn my manager’s job by making mistakes and analyzing then how to do things differently. I need a mentor to teach me how to do things right, and then how to do them better. Because “Management is doing things right; leadership is doing the right things.” according to Peter F. Drucker.

Book Leadership 101 John MAXWELL

“I’m the best manager in the team”

I spoke with my boss during the yearly assessment but he considers I’m the best manager in his team. So of course he is not really hearing my request. He could maybe teach me a few ‘tricks’ as he said but given his schedule I doubt it will ever happen.

“You don’t need a coach, you’re already the best”

Time for action

I will go tomorrow see my HR manager, I’m sure they have a budget for a coaching, maybe in exchange of the (time/ priorities/ leadership…) management trainings?

My pitch is prepared: if i’m a better manager, then the company benefits from it. I’ll do more, with less. That can be measured! And the price of a few months of coaching will not be much compared to that.

My interview with the HR manager

Written by Franck TOURTOIS.