How to be a great manager, according to Facebook

How to be a great manager, according to Facebook Tons of managers are fine and get the job done, but merely â€Å"okay† doesn’t inspire people to do great things. If you’re a manager, are you putting your all into your job, making sure that your direct reports are blossoming under your direction? In an interview with Glassdoor on February 27, 2018, Facebook VP of Human Resources Janelle Gale detailed the qualities she’s experienced that makes a great manager. She also discussed what makes certain managers merely â€Å"meh† at their jobs. Let’s take a closer look at what sets both manager types apart.Great managers  aren’t controllingSome managers tend to take the reins and pull them too tight. They become fixated on certain ways of doing business and do not give their employees an inch of leeway. According to Gale, these are not the very best managers. Facebook co-founder Mark Zuckerberg agrees, actually insisting that the â€Å"real art† of management is being so un-control ling that managers allow employees to do things they don’t agree with, but may lead to greatness.Great managers promote growthGreat managers also never allow their employees to stagnate or rest on their laurels. They promote growth by giving employees opportunities to learn new skills and serve as daily mentors to their direct reports. They reward strong performances and make sure that they, too, find new ways to grow in their own upper-level jobs so they can meet new challenges and accomplish increasingly complex tasks.Great managers like their jobsOne of the most important qualities of a great manager is being happy in the leadership role. Those who feel stuck in their jobs will exude a stagnant air that employees will not miss, undermining the manager’s effectiveness tremendously. A manager who is happy to be a manager will exude an aura of positivity and productive spirit that will be downright infectious.Great managers are supportiveAnother positive managerial tra it is supportiveness. As Gale says, â€Å"At Facebook, the great managers are supporting, they’re taking care of people, they’re reinforcing people’s strengths, they’re trying to make sure they get the opportunities to learn and grow in their jobs.†hbspt.cta.load(2785852, '9e52c197-5b5b-45e6-af34-d56403f973c5', {});â€Å"Okay† managers are supportersNot all managers have mastered the art of management as Gale described it, though that doesn’t mean they are necessarily bad at their jobs. We’re talking about the adequate, the acceptable, the merely okay. These are the managers who could use a great deal of improvement, and Gale says that a main issue with the okay manger is that he or she functions more as a supporter than a manager. Now, this is distinct from being supportive, which is a positive trait. However, when a manager works too closely with employees, micromanages, or practically does employees’ work for them, th at manager has crossed over from being a manager to being a supporter. At Facebook, a more hands-off management approach is a major element that contributed to making the company such a raging success.The okay manager can easily transform into the great one by recognizing her or his own negative or just-okay methods and bringing them in line with Gale’s recipe for great management. If you are too controlling, break that bad habit to manage with a lighter touch. If you are not sufficiently supportive, try to be more mindful of how you interact with your employees. If you notice that your employees are stagnating, promote their growth with rewards programs, mentoring programs, and opportunities to learn new skills. And if you are miserable being a manager, find a new line of work or find a way to enjoy what you do.

Prepare yourself for your upcoming internship

Prepare yourself for your upcoming internship Are you on the cusp of starting a new internship? If so, then congratulations- this can be an amazing opportunity for self-discovery and an important step in your lifelong career journey. Simply put, internships are great ways to explore your professional strengths and weaknesses, and can help you target your interests and passions- hopefully helping to guide you onto the career path that best suits you. That said, not all internships- or interns- are created equal. While some make every effort to put their best self forward and approach the internship as if it were an ultra-important full-time job, others take a less serious approach- and take a guess which type of intern typically fares better? That said, how have you decided to approach your upcoming internship? If you’re smart, you’ll prepare yourself in advance as much as possible in an effort to make a great impression. Who knows- if you really nail it, you just may find yourself weighing a great new job offer at the end of it!Consider using the following plan of attack to help ensure that your internship starts off strong.Do your homeworkBefore your first day at your new internship, make sure you know everything there is to know about the company you’re about to join. Most companies these days have a robust online presence, so take advantage of available information online. Not only will it help you do your job more effectively, it will likely impress the folks you’ll be working around. It may even serve as a springboard for bold new ideas that you can use to wow your new boss- and who knows what can happen from there?Also do your best to be fully aware of what your role in the organization will be, what will be expected of you from day one, and what your team or department does within the broader context of the organization (ideally, you used the interview process to have all of these questions answered). This will help reduce any awkward surprises on day one of your internsh ip, and also set you up to impress your new bosses when you’re able to hit the ground running when you first arrive.Know yourselfAs mentioned before, internships are a great way to learn about your strengths and weaknesses and discover what you’re interested in and good at. That said, you already know a great deal about yourself and can use what you know to your advantage at your new position. Make sure your strengths are on full display while at work. Are you a whiz at spreadsheets? Then do your best to set yourself up to work on any spreadsheets that your department utilizes. Have countless presentations in class made you a PowerPoint pro? Then volunteer to work on any PowerPoints that you discover are being worked on while at your internship. Not only will you come across as a team player who’s willing to go the extra mile, you’ll hopefully impress others with your abilities.In contrast, try to work on building your skills in your week areas subtly whi le at your internship. Take small opportunities to test yourself and confront new challenges- before long you’ll be more well-rounded and capable at work than ever before!Get professionalThis one often gets overlooked by interns, and they wind up paying the price when they arrive at work and aren’t completely ready. Get into a professional mindset before your internship starts and you’ll be setting yourself up for success. This includes getting an appropriate work wardrobe ready, practicing your workplace etiquette (here’s where a parent, mentor, or experienced friend or family member can really help), getting any supplies you might need, and even practicing getting up early for several days beforehand- you’ll be surprised by how a little advance planning to get yourself into professional mode can really benefit you in the long run.If you’re on the cusp of starting a new internship, it can be a really exciting time- as long as you prepare sm artly. Use the strategies and advice presented here to be your best starting on day one. Soak it in- this is the time for you to explore a profession or a company to see if it’s a great match. Use it wisely!