Expectations...
Monday night. Got to sleep at 2.15(ish)
Tuesday night. Got to sleep 1.45(ish)
Wednesday night. Wide awake at 2.15...
Physically I am shattered, mentally my brain and thoughts are firing on all cylinders.
So here's what's going on...
I work in an amazing Wellness Facility, in a well known (but unnamed bank lol) Which probably explains the level of sympathy I have with bankers.
I started work in 1986 and over the last 28 years I've had three really good direct line managers. Don't get me wrong, there has been some very talented ones but three that stood out.
The present one stands amongst those.
So what makes a good manager?
Well to start with it has absolutely nothing to do with the amount of work they give you. The best managers I've ever had I worked my butt off for and loved my job. The worst managers I resented doing anything for them.
So are you a crap manager? A good one? or an exceptional one?
Think about the managers you liked? Are you a good one compared to that model?
So what makes some one good and some one not so good.
First Great Manager...
My first really good manager was fair. He had lines, if he wanted you to do something, it got done, if it wasn't, he wanted to know why. But it wasn't one rule for his mate or some crawly bum licker and one rule for everyone else. He was constant and fair, and everything was based on a meritocracy. Lazy people got served up on a plate. Hard workers and strivers rewarded.
I'd been working there for 3 months. The first month you worked then got paid on the 18th of the next month for the month before. The accounts guy messed up. I didn't get paid. Then the following month he messed up again. Obviously he wasn't concerned. So I'm now 10 weeks in and I still haven't been paid. I have a quiet chat with my fitness manager and he calls the club manager, who I am then asked to meet.
The club manager asks the account manager when he is going to pay me. He then says next month.
Stop right there.
This guy comes to work, he does a great job, and in return for that great job I pay him.
It's not his hobby, it's paid work.
How much have we got in petty cash?
Give him all of it, then go out and get the total amount he is owed today from the bank, and pay him. If he hasn't been paid by 5pm, I'm going to fire you."
Truth
Boy I felt appreciated, and championed. Plus I got paid. None of which are really unreasonable.
I had the identical situation occur 10 years later with my worse manager. His assistant 'forgot' to put our time sheets through for 11 weeks, and kept forgetting. He made it our fault. Our time sheets were always given in on time.
If I ever win the lottery or come into a large amount on money he is on my list... if you are reading this and recognise the story... yup I will NEVER forget you.
2nd Great Manager...
This one is much less obvious. He asked me to assist on creating some visuals for an architectural project we were doing. I worked over the weekend producing the visuals and on Monday morning he called me into his office. My work was laid out on his desk. He looked over at me, and said thank you.
That was it. Appreciation and acknowledgment.
The one we have now...
My latest one is very interesting for me because his approach has been entirely hands off. He manages our team by not managing us, and acknowledging that we are all highly experienced mature professionals. This might not sound like a lot but for the last 10 years we have had varying degrees of manager who see it as their personal mission to bring us to heel. Unfortunately none of those managers had either the combination of knowledge, personality, credibility or emotional intelligence to realise that wasn't what was required.
My son's a bit like this.
Years ago Zack had a terrible teacher. By 12noon on a Monday he'd already lost his Golden time for the week. His teacher punished him for everything. Sat him next to a kid he hated and who constantly bullied him. Within months he'd gone from being identified as gifted in maths to almost declared a slow learner.
Then Lucy and I got on it. Letter to the headmistress, some very direct questioning and then some even more direct action when she didn't follow up. With the offer to bring in the borough investigators... oops that got things moving quickly.
He doesn't respond to the stick at all, he will fight you to the death... as a kid he held out for over 6 hours and still refused to say sorry for rudeness. The Lucy asked him gently and said she'd like him to spend time with us. A sorry within minutes.
Back to our latest. He looks at each of our skills and asks how and where it could best be utilised for the bigger project. Such a simple idea that not one manager even thought to ask in 13 years.
His skill is humility.
So what have we got?
Some one who you feel has your back and looks out for you.
Someone who is fair and just.
Someone who appreciates good work and doesn't have favourites.
Someone who displays appreciation and acknowledgement
Someone who understand how each persons strengths contribute to the team in a greater sense.
Someone who is humble and realises they don't have to be the best at everything, because they are the guy putting it together.
Is that you?
How close are you?
Today's Workouts
I did this as an accumulator it worked really well:1, 1+2, 1+2+3, 1+2+3+4, 1+2+3+4+5
I increased the weight each time on the chest press but found it impossible on the other exercises.
1.
Chest Press 22x21, 24x21, 26x21, 28x21, 30x21
2.
Pulldowns 100x13
Adonis Rows 40x13
3.
Lateral raises 16x8
Bent over lateral raises 14x8
Upright rows 45x8
4.
Hammer curls 18x5
Bicep curls 16x5
Incline curls 16x5
Seated bicep curls 16x5
5.
Skull crushers 18x5
Tate Press 18x5
Dips x5
Close hand push ups x5
Tricep Pushdowns 170x5
45 Minute Boxing class
Mainly drills based on movement and technique.
Lastly I've been considering applying for a job at my work. I've been a personal trainer for there for almost 20 years (yup 20 years!!).
I still love my job almost as much as I did the first day I started, I've never lost my enthusiasm or my passion and drive to learn and apply new ideas.
This evening I spent 45 minutes on the phone to my brother Julian, a highly successful headhunter. Sometimes a different perspective is all thats needed.
He reminded me of all the things I love in the job I do. The people I get to help and the passion and excitement that keeps me motivated to be better and better everyday. The freedom I enjoy working for myself...
Let the fun begin... I have some very special stuff coming up
Tuesday night. Got to sleep 1.45(ish)
Wednesday night. Wide awake at 2.15...
Physically I am shattered, mentally my brain and thoughts are firing on all cylinders.
So here's what's going on...
I work in an amazing Wellness Facility, in a well known (but unnamed bank lol) Which probably explains the level of sympathy I have with bankers.
I started work in 1986 and over the last 28 years I've had three really good direct line managers. Don't get me wrong, there has been some very talented ones but three that stood out.
The present one stands amongst those.
So what makes a good manager?
Well to start with it has absolutely nothing to do with the amount of work they give you. The best managers I've ever had I worked my butt off for and loved my job. The worst managers I resented doing anything for them.
So are you a crap manager? A good one? or an exceptional one?
Think about the managers you liked? Are you a good one compared to that model?
So what makes some one good and some one not so good.
First Great Manager...
My first really good manager was fair. He had lines, if he wanted you to do something, it got done, if it wasn't, he wanted to know why. But it wasn't one rule for his mate or some crawly bum licker and one rule for everyone else. He was constant and fair, and everything was based on a meritocracy. Lazy people got served up on a plate. Hard workers and strivers rewarded.
I'd been working there for 3 months. The first month you worked then got paid on the 18th of the next month for the month before. The accounts guy messed up. I didn't get paid. Then the following month he messed up again. Obviously he wasn't concerned. So I'm now 10 weeks in and I still haven't been paid. I have a quiet chat with my fitness manager and he calls the club manager, who I am then asked to meet.
The club manager asks the account manager when he is going to pay me. He then says next month.
Stop right there.
This guy comes to work, he does a great job, and in return for that great job I pay him.
It's not his hobby, it's paid work.
How much have we got in petty cash?
Give him all of it, then go out and get the total amount he is owed today from the bank, and pay him. If he hasn't been paid by 5pm, I'm going to fire you."
Truth
Boy I felt appreciated, and championed. Plus I got paid. None of which are really unreasonable.
I had the identical situation occur 10 years later with my worse manager. His assistant 'forgot' to put our time sheets through for 11 weeks, and kept forgetting. He made it our fault. Our time sheets were always given in on time.
If I ever win the lottery or come into a large amount on money he is on my list... if you are reading this and recognise the story... yup I will NEVER forget you.
2nd Great Manager...
This one is much less obvious. He asked me to assist on creating some visuals for an architectural project we were doing. I worked over the weekend producing the visuals and on Monday morning he called me into his office. My work was laid out on his desk. He looked over at me, and said thank you.
That was it. Appreciation and acknowledgment.
The one we have now...
My latest one is very interesting for me because his approach has been entirely hands off. He manages our team by not managing us, and acknowledging that we are all highly experienced mature professionals. This might not sound like a lot but for the last 10 years we have had varying degrees of manager who see it as their personal mission to bring us to heel. Unfortunately none of those managers had either the combination of knowledge, personality, credibility or emotional intelligence to realise that wasn't what was required.
My son's a bit like this.
Years ago Zack had a terrible teacher. By 12noon on a Monday he'd already lost his Golden time for the week. His teacher punished him for everything. Sat him next to a kid he hated and who constantly bullied him. Within months he'd gone from being identified as gifted in maths to almost declared a slow learner.
Then Lucy and I got on it. Letter to the headmistress, some very direct questioning and then some even more direct action when she didn't follow up. With the offer to bring in the borough investigators... oops that got things moving quickly.
He doesn't respond to the stick at all, he will fight you to the death... as a kid he held out for over 6 hours and still refused to say sorry for rudeness. The Lucy asked him gently and said she'd like him to spend time with us. A sorry within minutes.
Back to our latest. He looks at each of our skills and asks how and where it could best be utilised for the bigger project. Such a simple idea that not one manager even thought to ask in 13 years.
His skill is humility.
So what have we got?
Some one who you feel has your back and looks out for you.
Someone who is fair and just.
Someone who appreciates good work and doesn't have favourites.
Someone who displays appreciation and acknowledgement
Someone who understand how each persons strengths contribute to the team in a greater sense.
Someone who is humble and realises they don't have to be the best at everything, because they are the guy putting it together.
Is that you?
How close are you?
Today's Workouts
I did this as an accumulator it worked really well:1, 1+2, 1+2+3, 1+2+3+4, 1+2+3+4+5
I increased the weight each time on the chest press but found it impossible on the other exercises.
1.
Chest Press 22x21, 24x21, 26x21, 28x21, 30x21
2.
Pulldowns 100x13
Adonis Rows 40x13
3.
Lateral raises 16x8
Bent over lateral raises 14x8
Upright rows 45x8
4.
Hammer curls 18x5
Bicep curls 16x5
Incline curls 16x5
Seated bicep curls 16x5
5.
Skull crushers 18x5
Tate Press 18x5
Dips x5
Close hand push ups x5
Tricep Pushdowns 170x5
45 Minute Boxing class
Mainly drills based on movement and technique.
Lastly I've been considering applying for a job at my work. I've been a personal trainer for there for almost 20 years (yup 20 years!!).
I still love my job almost as much as I did the first day I started, I've never lost my enthusiasm or my passion and drive to learn and apply new ideas.
This evening I spent 45 minutes on the phone to my brother Julian, a highly successful headhunter. Sometimes a different perspective is all thats needed.
He reminded me of all the things I love in the job I do. The people I get to help and the passion and excitement that keeps me motivated to be better and better everyday. The freedom I enjoy working for myself...
Let the fun begin... I have some very special stuff coming up
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