There is currently a great Ask HN post going the repetitive mistakes of business management. Considering the excellent conversation around that, I'm curious what the other side of the coin looks like. Who's had experience with good managers, and what made them so?
Apologizing. When they screwed up, one way or another, they owned up to it and said so to as many people who would listen. This kind of culture is infectious, in the good way.
Be respectful of calendars. When I block off some time to focus on a hard problem, they don't interrupt me. If something does come up, they cautiously IM, "when would be a good time for an important interruption?" and nothing else. No phone calls, no swinging by my desk, no details of the issue, etc.
I'm currently doing an internship at a law office (in Liechtenstein) and the one thing management is doing right is treating employees and partners like humans, not capital.
Everybody is treated with respect and not looked down upon, not even the cleaning personnel. It creates an atmosphere of trust and wholesomeness, that intrinsically motivates the people that work here. People are encouraged to speak up when they see possible improvement without the fear of mistreatment or sanctions (which is another good thing, too).
My best personal experience with a manager is one that saw their sole job as insulating the team from the necessary friction required to operate within the business. Clearing roadblocks to productivity and advocating for the team's best interests.
Managers that are both advocate and agent for their direct reports do wonders for a team's ability to produce.
Be respectful of calendars. When I block off some time to focus on a hard problem, they don't interrupt me. If something does come up, they cautiously IM, "when would be a good time for an important interruption?" and nothing else. No phone calls, no swinging by my desk, no details of the issue, etc.