Very few people or companies can clearly articulate WHY they do WHAT they do. When I say WHY, I don’t mean to make money – that’s a result. By WHY I mean what is your purpose, cause or belief? WHY does your company exist? WHY do you get out of bed every morning? And WHY should anyone care?
Simon Sinek, “Start With Why”
Simon Sinek’s book “Start With Why” was one of the most important books I read in 2019. It gave me a new lens with which to look at problems and assess opportunities. Asking “Why?” at the start of a new project has become, for me, a critical milestone. If I can’t answer “Why are we doing this?”, then I won’t move forward.
So let’s start with “Why?”. Why am I launching this web site?
Put very simply, I want to help you become a successful manager.
Please note that I’m not trying to make you a “better” manager, though that might happen, depending on how performance is assessed in your environment. You see, “better” and “good” are very subjective terms. As managers, we strive for objective evidence with which to evaluate results. I want you to be successful, in ways that are measurable against the yardsticks that your business leaders have established.
What does it mean to be a successful manager? It means you deliver the results required by your organization…and then some.
Over the past few years I have talked with and mentored a number of people in various stages of their management careers. Many either aspired to be managers or were newly appointed to management roles. I heard a common theme in my conversations with these individuals: I need to know more about how to manage.
They had desire and ambition. But for some people, the problem was lack of knowledge – they had not learned the fundamentals of managing people, budgets, projects, departments, vendors or the dozen other tactical areas that managers need to know. For others, it was lack of experience – limited opportunities to try out their knowledge in “safe” environments, where they could get feedback and coaching to reinforce their efforts.
That’s why I’m launching MyManagementMentor.com – to provide guidance for aspiring, new and mid-career managers to help them be more successful, achieve measurable results and advance their careers.
To do this, I’m going to draw on insights from my personal experience. I’ve been managing people, projects, budgets and businesses for over 40 years. I’m also going to lean on my network to include guest articles and interviews with other successful managers and subject matter experts. And because we can never stop learning, I’m going to keep reading and studying, and will share the insights I gain from other authors.
I’m also going to ask you, the readers of this blog, to help set the direction. I would like your input on topics you’d like to see covered and questions you’d like to have answered. You can offer your suggestions through a simple survey. If you haven’t already done so, please take 5 minutes and share your ideas.
While a web site is essentially a one-way medium for communication (I’m publishing and you’re reading), I want these posts to be the starting point for conversations about our lives and careers as managers.
So there’s my “Why”. I want to help you become a successful manager. If that’s something you’re interested in, I hope you’ll subscribe to receive notices about new posts and will leave comments and questions below. I look forward to a lively and ongoing dialogue with you about management topics.
Let’s get started!
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