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Good managers, what they do, how they think & act.
A thread
1/15
A thread
1/15
1/
Good managers are skilled at asking questions that give their team members a new perspective on the problem and reach the right solution on their own.
Good managers are skilled at asking questions that give their team members a new perspective on the problem and reach the right solution on their own.
2/
Good managers listen, then listen some more, and then some more.
Good managers listen, then listen some more, and then some more.
3/
Good managers address context first, then content
They donât just stick a new process as a band-aid over deep culture wounds & hope that the pain goes away. They know that most problems are interpersonal problems at their core. They have a knack for identifying the root cause
Good managers address context first, then content
They donât just stick a new process as a band-aid over deep culture wounds & hope that the pain goes away. They know that most problems are interpersonal problems at their core. They have a knack for identifying the root cause
4/
Good managers use their eloquence, charisma, and writing skills as tools, never as weapons.
Good managers use their eloquence, charisma, and writing skills as tools, never as weapons.
5/
Good managers know that, above all else, they are agents of their company. Their default mode is to make and facilitate company-optimal choices.
Good managers know that, above all else, they are agents of their company. Their default mode is to make and facilitate company-optimal choices.
6/
Good managers know that fixing broader company culture is an important part of their role as a designated leader within the company.
Good managers know that fixing broader company culture is an important part of their role as a designated leader within the company.
7/
Good managers put their team members above their own self-interest when the two are in conflict.
Good managers put their team members above their own self-interest when the two are in conflict.
8/
Good managers understand that the long game is all about people
They put an individualâs mental & physical well-being above short term OKRs & results. They pay keen attention to a team memberâs feelings in addition to their spoken words & can detect dissonance between the two
Good managers understand that the long game is all about people
They put an individualâs mental & physical well-being above short term OKRs & results. They pay keen attention to a team memberâs feelings in addition to their spoken words & can detect dissonance between the two
9/
Good managers consistently get results through their team.
They have high standards for inputs, outputs, and outcomes. They arenât satisfied with just meeting the minimum permissible bar for metrics, product quality, customer satisfaction, team collaboration, and so on.
Good managers consistently get results through their team.
They have high standards for inputs, outputs, and outcomes. They arenât satisfied with just meeting the minimum permissible bar for metrics, product quality, customer satisfaction, team collaboration, and so on.
10/
Good managers are proactive about their team membersâ career growth. They donât dread career conversations with team members, they actively invite such conversations.
Good managers are proactive about their team membersâ career growth. They donât dread career conversations with team members, they actively invite such conversations.
11/
Good managers donât have just one go-to management style nor do they have a notion of âTHE ideal employeeâ. Good managers aim to create an inclusive & optimal environment for each individual, based on their specific strengths, weaknesses, preferred style of learning & working
Good managers donât have just one go-to management style nor do they have a notion of âTHE ideal employeeâ. Good managers aim to create an inclusive & optimal environment for each individual, based on their specific strengths, weaknesses, preferred style of learning & working
12/
Good managers can discern good intent from bad. They have zero tolerance for self-serving behavior that sabotages the team or the company, even if itâs coming from an otherwise highly competent team member.
Good managers can discern good intent from bad. They have zero tolerance for self-serving behavior that sabotages the team or the company, even if itâs coming from an otherwise highly competent team member.
14/
Good managers are confident & secure in their role.
They model High Agency.
They have a mature attitude & avoid pettiness.
They know itâs fine to express vulnerability.
They say âI donât knowâ when thatâs true.
They love learning.
They exude presence.
Good managers are confident & secure in their role.
They model High Agency.
They have a mature attitude & avoid pettiness.
They know itâs fine to express vulnerability.
They say âI donât knowâ when thatâs true.
They love learning.
They exude presence.
15/
Last but not least:
Good managers value clear thinking, sound judgment, & wisdom. They try their best, but also realize they (& others) are fallible & anyone can have a bad day. They know that their own growth as a manager isnât a binary quantity, itâs a continuous process.
Last but not least:
Good managers value clear thinking, sound judgment, & wisdom. They try their best, but also realize they (& others) are fallible & anyone can have a bad day. They know that their own growth as a manager isnât a binary quantity, itâs a continuous process.
Iâve personally gone from being a terrible manager 13 yrs ago to being just ok today. For many years in between, I actively avoided managing people because I knew I wasnât good at it & didnât enjoy it. That changed for me as I learned & discovered some of what you have just read.
Thatâs all for this thread.
If youâre a manager or want to be one, I wish you all the best in your journey. And if you are an individual contributor, I hope this context can be useful for you when youâre choosing your next role & manager.
If youâre a manager or want to be one, I wish you all the best in your journey. And if you are an individual contributor, I hope this context can be useful for you when youâre choosing your next role & manager.
Back to the top of this thread: https://twitter.com/shreyas/status/1290685921348562948
Want to explore this topic further?
Some references in the next few tweets
Some references in the next few tweets
On recommended books for aspiring and new'ish managers, along with links and a one-line summary of each book: https://twitter.com/shreyas/status/1247356879346401282
Don't view questions as a sign of weakness: https://twitter.com/shreyas/status/1270514527705001985
Example questions to ask as a product leader, when evaluating product decisions: https://twitter.com/shreyas/status/1260034404463702020
Focusing on asking questions, rather than on winning a debate: https://twitter.com/shreyas/status/1278899593543991297
On using frameworks that help team members arrive at the solution by themselves: https://twitter.com/shreyas/status/1257867272116289537
On addressing Context before Content
(h/t @ConsciousLG) https://twitter.com/shreyas/status/1277290104654946306
(h/t @ConsciousLG) https://twitter.com/shreyas/status/1277290104654946306
On writing more clearly: https://twitter.com/shreyas/status/1285460711808700418
On charisma & wisdom: https://twitter.com/shreyas/status/1266752252435259393
On asking a manager how they rank Employee, Company, and Self: https://twitter.com/shreyas/status/1286498290360389633
On optimizing for people: https://twitter.com/shreyas/status/1283632567464255493
On good/bad intent and its power over everything else: https://twitter.com/shreyas/status/1289547795028824064
On being okay with saying in 1-on-1s that you need time to think: https://twitter.com/shreyas/status/1279617108670742529
On High Agency: https://twitter.com/shreyas/status/1276956836856393728
On what not to do as a manager â the 7 Manager Anti-Patterns: https://twitter.com/shreyas/status/1287142361441505280
On picking a manager (when you can do so): https://twitter.com/shreyas/status/1055734820209352704
On Product Management Leadership: https://twitter.com/shreyas/status/1284499367383035904
A mega-thread on PM Leadership: https://twitter.com/shreyas/status/1055718652102594560
Managers need to combat Apple Pie Positions within the company where it makes sense: https://twitter.com/shreyas/status/1231455889019699200
Managers of product teams (engineering, design, pm, etc.) need to look for biases that lead to unsuccessful & low impact products. They need to look within themselves first, and then within their teams: https://twitter.com/shreyas/status/1282169204699873281
How your team, org, company prioritizes certain skills & traits is vital. The priority order will get deeply embedded in the culture and will ultimately đŁđŠđ€đ°đźđŠ your culture. So best to be very intentional about it. https://twitter.com/shreyas/status/1285751991390461953
~Update~
Glad this thread has resonated with so many folks.
An updated version of this content is now available as an article on LinkedIn, if you want to read it in one place, bookmark it, or share with colleagues & friends who don't use Twitter
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/how-good-managers-think-act-shreyas-doshi/
Glad this thread has resonated with so many folks.
An updated version of this content is now available as an article on LinkedIn, if you want to read it in one place, bookmark it, or share with colleagues & friends who don't use Twitter
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/how-good-managers-think-act-shreyas-doshi/
On organizations and culture:
https://twitter.com/shreyas/status/1292324822907682816?s=21 https://twitter.com/shreyas/status/1292324822907682816
https://twitter.com/shreyas/status/1292324822907682816?s=21 https://twitter.com/shreyas/status/1292324822907682816
Probably the most important thing I can say about management per character of text.
The ranking is really important here: Ears, and therefore Listening, comes first and foremost. https://twitter.com/shreyas/status/1295008841570988032
The ranking is really important here: Ears, and therefore Listening, comes first and foremost. https://twitter.com/shreyas/status/1295008841570988032
