Managers – How Not to Be Like Congress

John Krautzel
Posted by


As a manager, you need to make decisions and act on the behalf of your team, which is what Congress is supposed to do for the citizens of the United States. However, as a manager, the last thing you want to do is run your team like Congress regardless of your personal opinion on the way Congress operates. Instead of using government officials as your role models, you should consider looking at yourself as your team’s coach—work to boost employee morale, communicate better, and take advice from other company representatives when needed.

When a government decision needs to be made, members of Congress tally votes to determine the outcome. While this enables a variety of voices to be heard, it’s not always the most efficient way to make decisions. As a team leader, your job is to speak on behalf of your team. So, instead of taking a vote, take responsibility. When you’re faced with an important decision, consider how the outcome will affect your team and make the decision that you feel is best.

Good communication is the key to managing a successful team. You need to take the time to facilitate team meetings on a regular basis to keep everyone updated, air out work-related problems, and allow your team to think together. Working together as a team not only gives everyone a chance to get to know each other a little better but also helps eliminate work cliques and ensure that your team goals are clear.

It’s also important that you treat all of your team members with respect. While representatives of Congress may be able to debate issues and voice their opinion about other Congressmen, this type of behavior from a manager can really harm team morale. You should never speak to an employee in a condescending manner. It’s important to remember that the people on your team were hired because they have something positive to contribute to the company. If your opinion differs from your employee, talk about the issue instead of demanding that it be handled your way. Also, delegating tasks to your team members instead of micromanaging them shows them that you trust that them to get things done right.

Everyone makes mistakes, even managers, but sometimes it can be hard to take responsibility for your mistakes. However, you need to set a good example for your team, so don’t avoid problems or sugarcoat things. If you make a mistake, own up to it. Acknowledging problems or issues right away allows you to work with your team members to come up with a quick solution or get advice if you need to.

It takes a lot of work to be responsible for an entire team of people. You have to be able to evaluate situations and make decisions quickly. You also need to understand how to relate to your team members so that you can create a positive work environment. While it’s important to consider your team members’ opinions, it's your job to make the decision—unlike Congress, you don't have to wait for a vote to be tallied to take steps to improve your team.

 

(Photo courtesy of freedigitalphotos.net)

Comment

Become a member to take advantage of more features, like commenting and voting.

Jobs to Watch