First Thoughts - Three Responsibilities of a Manager

Whether you're new to management, I've been in the role for 14 months, or if you've been doing it for years and years you are faced with three responsibilities that you have to balance:

First is your responsibility to your employers to do the job that you've been hired to do. This may be the easiest of the three.

Second is your responsibility to your staff to see that they do their job and are able to grow and excel. When this happens you will be successful simply because this is the key to your first responsibility.

Third is your responsibility to yourself to see that you grow and excel.

Can all three be done - without a doubt. But in doing so you have to take into consideration a lot of different things.

One of the first things to consider is the work/life balance that is important for you and for your staff to maintain a healthly life. Your staff, as well as yourself and those above you in the organization, work so that you can enjoy life. While there are rare instances (more so the higher in the organization one gets it seems) of those who live to work and believe that others should have that same goal, you should never let this happen. The moment you start down this path you and your staff will be working 10, 12, 14+ hour days and 6 or 7 days per week along with most holidays. That is not healthy. You (hopefully) and your staff have families and friends and outside interests that need time.

Another thing to remember is that your staff are just as important to the organization, if not more so, as your stockholders. They have made a commitment to work for your organization and most want to do their best.