My Approach to Managing People

After decades working in corporate management, here are some of the ways I managed people to get the best out of them while keeping them happy and fulfilled.

In September 2022, I left my 24-year corporate job, a job for which I was a Senior Director with direct reports in various parts of the Western United States and India. Prior to that, I’d been employed off and on in the corporate sector. During all that time, I learned a few things about managing people.

I recall a past discussion that took place on social media about how to motivate employees. During the course of that discussion, I was asked how I manage people and I added my two cents into the mix. Here’s an approximation of what I said in that discussion thread about how I managed teams. Since I’ve learned a few things since that online discussion many years ago, I’ve updated my initial comments slightly.

Most of what follows isn’t new. Much of it you’ve heard or read before. But I contend most managers still manage from a place of fear rather than collaboration, from reliance on rigidity rather than reliance on the empowerment of their team.

With employee survey data consistently pointing to bad managers as a main reason employees leave jobs, I believe these tips are vital to retain the best talent.