Not-so-Tuesday Dispatch: Issue #113
Not-so-Tuesday Dispatch: Issue #113
Let's shake it up a little bit!
This Tuesday Dispatch is late on schedule. It was supposed to be distributed yesterday, and for the first time in 112 weeks, it did not happen.
This delay gave me the opportunity to start a process of iteration that I have been thinking about for quite a while. And here it is!
I'll test a few new ways to add value to this newsletter. I will mix curation and original content, pour way more of myself into this, and be way more opinionated than I was in the past.
Also, I’ll rely on less GPT for content creation. You deserve my grammar mistakes and convoluted sentences more than that synthetic language that generative AI can produce.
Let's get going!
The Good Stuff
The Secret to Great Decisions?
Answer: solve the right problem.
Don't miss this great article on decision-making.
Dealing With a Difficult Manager Relationship
"If only my manager were a nice person." A client of mine shared this with me a few weeks ago, asking for help regarding their relationship with their manager.
We all wish to work with people we like, respect, and align with our core values. It's a fair desire but not completely realistic.
As professionals, we need to navigate difficult relationships and work effectively regardless.
Here is a good read for dealing with a bad boss.
How Many Direct Reports Should a Manager Have?
In my experience, I'd say:
With 1 to 4 direct reports, you can manage people and still have the bandwidth for executive contribution.
With 4 to 8 direct reports, you can manage the team, but it's a full-time endeavor.
With 8 to 12 direct reports, you need to manage people full-time and optimize your management processes. Automate scheduling, standardize performance reviews, delegate fearlessly, etc.
Over 12 direct reports: your effectiveness starts to decline quickly.
Similar results are more extensively shared in this great article; don't miss it!
Remote Team Management: Leadership Principles for Remote-First Teams
If your remote team management is all about simulating the office experience, you are doing it wrong.
Let go of any expectation of total control, focus on trust, and you'll get great results.
This is a great article, don't miss it!
You will never be ready. But you always need to be prepared.
When you navigate complex problems, like managing people, you should not expect to be ready to do a good job. The most outstanding performance I've witnessed in my career came from people who were not ready: they were prepared.
The same happens in more complex scenarios, like ERs. Emergency rooms in hospitals don't pursue the concept of "being ready.” They develop processes to be prepared.
From the triage to shifts. From the provision of medications to room design, all is carefully planned to assist, respond to, and solve complex problems within the limited availability of resources. Stress is turned into effectiveness through careful preparation.
But when I look at corporate management? I don't see that. What I see is an unreasonable pursuit of readiness. People are ranked based on seniority, tenure, and ladders of progression.
None of that has to do with getting prepared to deal with managing people. It all feels like checking boxes.
And then, when humans are added to the equation, most supposed-to-be managers crumble and become ineffective.
My solution, you ask? Proper training.
Training designed to teach people how to deal with people.
If you are interested in such training, check it out and get in touch!
If you find value in this newsletter, do me a favor and forward this newsletter to your friends and colleagues. If you also subscribe to paid, that would be super appreciated. That's up to you; thank you for enduring this journey with me.