Manager…

What thoughts does the word “manager” stimulate in your mind?  Are you one?  Is that a role you aspire to? 

I aspired to be a manager once; I became one, too.  Careful what you ask for HaHa!  I meant well.  Thankfully my direct reports were patient: 

But even top management types are mostly harmless when you get to know them.  Given lots of love, some even make good pets. 

Rick Levine 

I did try to follow Fred Smith’s thought leadership in his book, Love ‘Em or Lose ‘Em ©: 

A manager is not a person who can do the work better than his men; he is the person who can get his men to do the work better than he can. 

Of all the things I did as a manager the one thing I did well was recruit top talent – women and men.  I also did my best to support them as they did their work: 

     It was a beautiful day when I stopped into a Rock Bottom Restaurant for a quick lunch.  The place was jammed.  I was happy to grab the one stool they had available at the bar.  A few minutes after I sat down, a young man carrying a tray full of dirty dishes hurried by on his way to the kitchen.  Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed me, stopped, came back, and said, "Sir, have you been helped?"

     "No, I haven't," I said.  "And I'm in a bit of a hurry.  But all I really want is a salad and maybe a couple of rolls."

     "I can get you that, sir.  What would you like to drink?"

     "I'll have a Diet Coke, please."

     "Oh, I'm sorry, sir, we have Pepsi products.  Would that be all right?"

     "Ah, no thanks", I said with a smile.  "I'll just have water with lemon, please."

     "Great, I'll be back."  He disappeared.

     Moments later he returned with the salad, the rolls, and the water.  I thanked him, and he was quickly gone again, leaving me to enjoy my meal, a satisfied customer.

     Suddenly, there was a blur of activity off to my left, the "wind of enthusiasm" blew behind me, and then, over my right shoulder stretched the "long arm of service" delivering a twenty-ounce, bottle, frosty on the outside, cold on the inside, of - you guessed it - Diet Coke!

     "Wow!" I said.  "Thank you!"

     "You're welcome", he said with a smile, and hurried off again.

     My first thought was Hire this man!  Talk about going the extra mile!  And the more I thought about the outstanding thing he'd just done, the more I wanted to talk to him.  So, as soon as I could get his attention, I waived him over.

     "Excuse me, I thought you didn't sell Coke", I said.

     "That's right, sir, we don't."

     "Well where did this come from?"

     "The grocery store around the corner."  I was taken aback.

     "Who paid for it?"  I asked.

     "I did, sir; just a dollar."

     By then I was thinking profound and professional thoughts like cool!  But what I said was, "Come on, you've been awfully busy.  How did you have time to get it?"  Smiling and seemingly growing taller before my eyes, he said, "I didn't, sir.  I sent my manager!" 

John G. Miller 

Yes, when you’re busy doing the work you’re so good at doing - just send your manager.  Most are willing; some even make good pets. 

GAP 

When life gets tough we could get a helmet… or… we could leverage the peace and share the power of a positive perspective.