Managing Managers

1. M A N A G E R S
W O R K I N G B E T T E R W I T H
BUFFERPEOPLEGUIDES

2. B U F F E R P E O P L E G U I D E S
You need to make sure
that they’re effectively
supporting their teams
You need to make sure
they’re producing good
work
S A M E A S
W I T H I C
S P E C I F I C
T O
M A N A G E R S
R E S P O N S I B I L I T I E S T O
T H I N K A B O U T :

3. B U F F E R P E O P L E G U I D E S
Q U E S T I O N S
You might know how to do the
former, but how do you do the latter?
Do you need to provide training?
Coaching? And how do you serve as a
good role model?

4. B U F F E R P E O P L E G U I D E S
1 0 K E Y S T O
H E L P Y O U R
D I R E C T
R E P O R T S B E
G R E A T
M A N A G E R S

5. B U F F E R P E O P L E G U I D E S
C H A N G E T H E
F O C U S O F
Y O U R
C O A C H I N G
1
With individual contributors,
you’d spend your time together
digging into the details of
specific projects. But with
managers, you’ll dig into the
details of their management.

6. B U F F E R P E O P L E G U I D E S
W H A T ' S T H E
D I F F E R E N C E ?
A L I G N
T H E I R
G O A L S
W I T H
Y O U R S
P R O V I D E
F E E D B A C K
U S E Y O U R T I M E
W I T H M A N A G E R S
T O :
H E L P T H E M
A D V A N C E
T H E I R
C A R E E R S
LEADERSHIP
COACHING

7. B U F F E R P E O P L E G U I D E S
K N O W T H A T Y O U ’ L L
T E A C H B Y
M O D E L L I N G
2
Be sure that you are managing
your people in the way that you
expect them to manage their
own teams.

8. B U F F E R P E O P L E G U I D E S
TAKE TIME TO REMIND YOUR
MANAGERS THAT MANAGEMENT
IS AN INHERENTLY COMPLEX
AND DIFFICULT JOB AND DON'T
LET THEM “WASTE” TIME AND
VALUABLE MENTAL ENERGY
WISHING IT WEREN'T SO.

9. B U F F E R P E O P L E G U I D E S
S E E W O R K I N
A C T I O N ( F O R
M A N A G E R S A N D
T H E I R T E A M S )
3
Do real work together, looking
for opportunities to explain
what you’re doing and how
you’re doing it.

10. B U F F E R P E O P L E G U I D E S
G E T T O K N O W
Y O U R M A N A G E R S ’
T E A M S
4
* Have an open door policy
* Occasionally schedule time with IC to hear
their thoughts on how things are going
* Be clear that you are aligned and there's no
secrets

11. B U F F E R P E O P L E G U I D E S
R E W A R D
H O R I Z O N T A L
L E A D E R S H I P
5
Vertical leadership sin't usually
where the danger is: It lies in
the new managers failing to
work well together, horizontally.

12. B U F F E R P E O P L E G U I D E S
T R E A T T H E M L I K E
H I G H P O T E N T I A L
T E A M M E M B E R S
A N D C H A L L E N G E
T H E M
6
High potentials, more than
anyone, need to feel continually
challenged. They need to
understand the strategy or
approach then be given the ball
– to do what they do best.

13. B U F F E R P E O P L E G U I D E S
G I V E T H E M
E X P O S U R E
7
You should allow your managers
to can gain valuable business
knowledge and perspective. You
should also make sure to give
them credit for their work.

14. B U F F E R P E O P L E G U I D E S
G I V E T H E M S P A C E 8
It means being a coach rather
than a referee. A good coach
chooses the right players,
assesses their strengths and
weaknesses and places each
person in the position where
they’ll perform their best.

15. B U F F E R P E O P L E G U I D E S
P R A I S E T H E M I N
P U B L I C
9
Give people opportunities to
demonstrate their credibility in
front of others. When you show
that you value someone on your
team and their direct reports
are watching, it can really help,

16. B U F F E R P E O P L E G U I D E S
A S K T H E M W H A T
T H E Y N E E D T O
K I C K A S S
1 0
Tools, resources, feedback,
praise, support, clarity. In order
for your managers to perform
optimally, give them what they
need to kick ass.

17. B U F F E R P E O P L E G U I D E S
- T r e a t y o u r d i r e c t r e p o r t s i n t h e
s a m e w a y y o u w a n t t h e m t o t r e a t
t h e i r t e a m m e m b e r s .
- L o o k f o r o p p o r t u n i t i e s t o o b s e r v e
t h e m i n a c t i o n .
- S p e n d t i m e g e t t i n g t o k n o w t h e i r
t e a m m e m b e r s .
- R e c o g n i z e m a n a g e r i a l s k i l l .
- U n d e r s t a n d t h a t t h e r e c a n o n l y b e
o n e c o m p a n y . Y o u c a n a v o i d t h e n e e d
t o d o s o b y n o t a l l o w i n g s i l o s t o f o r m
i n t h e f i r s t p l a c e
D O
P R I N C I P L E S T O R E M E M B E R

18. B U F F E R P E O P L E G U I D E S
- D i c t a t e e x a c t l y h o w t h e y s h o u l d
m a n a g e . I n s t e a d , g i v e t h e m a d v i c e
a n d l e t t h e m f i n d t h e i r o w n a u t h e n t i c
s t y l e .
- C r i t i c i z e t h e m i n f r o n t o f t h e i r
t e a m .
- W a i t u n t i l t h e a n n u a l r e v i e w c y c l e
t o a s k f o r i n p u t .
- A s s u m e t h a t “ w h a t g o t y o u h e r e w i l l
g e t y o u t h e r e ” . Y o u n e e d t o l e a d t h e m
d i f f e r e n t l y a s t h e y g r o w n a n d b e c o m e
m o r e c o m p l e x .
D O N ' T
P R I N C I P L E S T O R E M E M B E R

19. B U F F E R P E O P L E G U I D E S
T H A N K S ! : )

20. B U F F E R P E O P L E G U I D E S
C O N T A C T
D E B O R A H @ B U F F E R A P P . C O M
A N Y C O M M E N T O R Q U E S T I O N ?