Moving Others in Management

Management. As you read that word, what do you picture? I think of Michael Scott, from The Office. I’m sure many people might think of a bad boss, or maybe a good boss. But what do managers do? Managers/Leaders in organizations are called to steward a company’s resources, grow the company, and stay above the bottom line. This is what I thought before I researched this subject further and began to love leadership and management. I was wrong. I viewed management and leadership as the same, completely synonymous. This is not the case, as not all managers are leaders. However, all leaders should be good managers.

Why does this matter? As a manager you are called to steward resources, and as leader you are called to steward relational human beings. This is what I missed before I started learning in depth about management and leadership. Organizations don’t start, or grow, through resources or a bottom line. They grow through relational, embodied people. Leaders are called to inspire, influence, and consider the needs of their people. Therefore, managerial leaders will grow their organization and achieve goals more effectively by meeting with employees outside of work on a regular basis.

Managers and Leaders need to move people. they can do this in a number of ways that we’ve been talking about in class, like no mutual mystification, understanding pain, and especially  attunement.

Attunement, as defined by Sweet, is “The ability to bring one’s actions and outlook into harmony with other people and with the context of the situation.” Managers can use this, and the sub tactics that come with, like the shifting of power, using your head as much as your heart, and mimicry, to better steward your followers.