MANAGEMENT MAGICIANS: If my title says manager, why do I feel like a babysitter?

Our MANAGEMENT MAGICIANS™ series is dedicated to the “magic” that a talented manager is able to create. Our topic is, “If my title says manager, why do I feel like a babysitter?”

Competent management is predicated on a healthy, confident, talented individual who is practicing the joyful art of business! If a person is promoted to a management job position but they are insecure, disappointed in themselves, resentful of others, angry, jealous and/ or any other high-risk unmet need, they are unable to function as a manager. Instead, they will work to undercut the confident team members, they will take credit for ideas that are not theirs, they will plot against other staff members and peers.

They will spend the overwhelming majority of their time on personal issues (who they like, who they hate, who is “on their side,” who is “an enemy,” etc.). They will also lament that they are not able to “manage” because they are spending their time as a “babysitter.” They will gleefully share all of the failures and foibles of their peers, subordinates and supervisors. They are ruthless and relentless in their quest to cast themselves in a favorable light and diminish the accomplishments of others.

Stable, confident and satisfied managers are never babysitters (and never feel that way). They are aware that their job is to hire the best, clearly set expectations, nurture their team, continually provide feedback to their team, and other than that they get out of the way and let their high caliber team do their jobs in their own unique and creative ways. This is analogous to a stable, confident and satisfied manager in a family (a parent or caregiver). They have “the best” (just by definition of the minor child being in their family and/ or care). They clearly set expectations, nurture them, continually provide feedback and otherwise get out of their way.