It’s shocking to me how many sub-par managers exist. Â Sure 50% of all managers are by definition below average, but why is the average so low?
I’ve found empirically this is especially true for line-level and middle managers who oftentimes were promoted from within. Â Upon reflection, I believe this is due to a few reasons:
- Many managers receive little to no formal training before (or even after) bring promoted.
- People often go into management because they’ve reached the end of their career ladder and it’s the only way to get promoted. Â They may not want to be a manager, but they believe it’s the only way to grow their skills or increase their pay.
- Frequently line level managers, particularly those who are experienced and often know the answer to a problem have trouble letting their employees solve the problem themselves.
- Most managers are mentored by managers who themselves are guilty of the above!
I started this blog because of the sheer number of bad managers (especially IT managers) I’ve encountered in my career.  Although I don’t promise to turn everyone into the top 1%, my hope is that my insight and advice will help people manage just a little bit better.  More importantly, just like any good manager, I hope that you, the reader, will give me feedback in the form of comments and foster a conversation that improves everyone.