Heard the One about the Chicken Crossing the Playground?
Yes, as a Junior Manager I told bad jokes.
Lame jokes never leave us and such classics are still just as popular in crackers or on ice-cream sticks as they are in the playground.
What's interesting, however, is the fact that your team might actually laugh if you were to tell such a joke. But would it be because you're funny or because their success relies on you liking them?
New Managers
Many new managers fall into the trap of over-using humour. It's an easy thing to do as a junior manager as you're getting to grips with the notion of managing a group of people, some of whom may be more experienced or older than you. It's very human to attempt to cover a sense of discomfort with a liberal application of attempted humour.
So as you find yourself being promoted, you might also find that you start to get more laughs. And the danger at this point is that you start to believe that you're genuinely channelling some serious stand-up comic potential. That is until you realise that you aren't actually that funny at all and your team are simply forcing themselves to chuckle along to preserve their own career trajectories.
As a More Senior Manager
Many managers can become unaware of their standing within teams as junior staff begin to tweak their behaviour around organisational seniority. Most of us remember laughing hollowly at a director's tired old patter, just to seem interested and worthy of promotion. And as a more senior manager, it's essential to retain that all-important sense of self-awareness and the ability to interpret feedback in a genuine way.
First-Time Manager
When you become a first-time manager, the social cues that previously helped you to moderate your behaviour become increasingly less reliable. This is because your new position within the organisation will change some people's behaviour around you.
This applies to bad jokes, endless monologues about your over-achieving children and the 'it's fine' responses when you turn up late to meetings. If your team appear to be endlessly accommodating, attentive and responsive to you, then question their motives and review your behaviour objectively.
Rather than holding the room with your personality and wit, you may find that your words and actions are being discussed by your team the minute that you leave the room. In fact, the best and most experienced managers will severely limit the amount of time they spend joking and chatting with their team. They work hard to show respect to their staff by observing timeliness, processes and good working practices.
So how can you transform yourself from 'embarrassing boss' to a respected manager that people within your organisation aspire to work for?
Be conscious of the changes that a promotion or change in job title creates.
Firstly, learn about organisational dynamics and be conscious of the changes that a promotion or change in job title creates. Your colleagues will begin to treat you differently and your seniority and influence will mean that they need to seek your approval. If you're smart, you'll realise that the things they say to you may not always mirror what they are thinking.
However, that's not a bad thing in some ways as most successful people know the art of internal politics and discretion, but it's still something to be aware of.
Get feedback from your original peer group, who knew you before your promotion and who will have a more balanced view of you. They will tend to be more honest, open and genuine.
Change your social compass, so that it's guided by your own judgements rather than your team's reactions. Aim to be honest with yourself and assess your behaviour. Before taking an action such as rescheduling a meeting, ask yourself how you'd feel if your own manager did it. Put yourself in the position of your team.
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