The Three Common Myths About Management

As a manager, you'll quickly learn that many individuals have fixed notions about the roles and capabilities of managers. Some managers may genuinely believe they have the ability to read minds and are otherwise flawless, but this is not the case (personality, skills, and experience included).

This is the sort of flawed reasoning that is being applied. Managers are promoted when they demonstrate not just competence, but also the motivation and aptitude to expand their skill set. Nobody ever rises through the ranks to management with a complete understanding of the company's inner workings. Here are three misconceptions we hope to dispel about management.

The management team has access to all data.

Once again, this is not the case. Inquisitive managers try to learn as much as they can, but the information that higher-ups have access to often stays at that level. As a result, you and your team might end up wasting time on tasks that aren't essential but could have been avoided if only you'd been made aware of a better option.

The sole responsibility of a manager is to delegate work to their subordinates.

There is no way to know for sure where this misconception came from, but let's hope it disappears soon. Employees who aren't happy with their jobs often complain about a manager who does nothing but delegate responsibilities to others and then returns to his office to read the paper over coffee. A competent manager can divide up work, keeping some of it in-house while delegating others. A good manager is always doing something, whether it's directing the efforts of his subordinates, carrying out his own assignments, or reassembling the project after its components have been finished.

Time management is an essential skill for any manager.

Managers, contrary to popular belief, have considerable skill in setting priorities. Some managers may have made a schedule for themselves but lack the authority to make employees adhere to it. Employees, phone calls, emails, and the insistence of others that their tasks are more pressing than the manager's are constant interruptions. We might learn that they accomplished seven of ten tasks on a good day, and none at all on a bad day. Supervisors already have a hard enough time keeping track of their time without having to contend with their employees as well.

It's important to keep these misunderstandings in mind as you interact with employees, peers, and superiors throughout the day. Perhaps they are expecting too much from you, despite the fact that you are giving it your all.

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