Dear Managers, Do Your Damned Job!

Dear Managers...

Stop hiding behind your fancy titles and MBA certificates! Your pristine spreadsheets and polished presentations mean nothing if you can't handle the mess of managing actual humans.?

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Like a chief who only shows up for the harvest feast but ignores the daily struggles of his village, too many managers excel at tasks but fail miserably at leading people.

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You've spent years perfecting your technical skills, mastering industry knowledge, and climbing the corporate ladder.?

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But here's the bitter truth: your expertise in financial modelling or project management means little if you can't handle Adebayo's constant lateness or Chioma's emotional outbursts during team meetings.

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Let's be clear – managing people isn't a side quest in your professional journey. It's the main mission. Your job title reads "Manager," not "Task Completer" or "Email Responder." Yet many of you treat people management like an unwanted stepchild, focusing on metrics while ignoring the human dynamics that drive those very numbers.

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You’re setting yourself up for failure like a farmer who knows everything about seeds but nothing about weather patterns. People come with baggage – emotional, personal, and professional.?

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They bring their dreams, fears, attitudes, and family problems to work. Your job isn't solving all their problems, but understanding and managing these human variables to achieve organizational goals.

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First, master your own house. How can you manage others when your emotions run wild like an unleashed lion? When does your time management look like a scattered marketplace? When does your reputation among team members resemble a cracked calabash? Fix yourself first.

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Your team members are as diverse as the patterns on African fabric. Some shine bright like the afternoon sun, others need more polishing than an old copper pot.?

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Some think with the precision of a master craftsman, others react with the unpredictability of a startled gazelle. You must weave these different threads into a strong, unified cloth.

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"But my team is difficult!" you cry. Of course, they are! Did you expect to lead a group of perfect robots? Managing people is like cooking jollof rice – you work with the ingredients you have, not the ones you wish for. Your job is to bring out the best flavors, even from imperfect ingredients.

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Stop complaining about unskilled staff or difficult personalities. That's like a hunter whining about the thickness of the forest. These challenges are your job description, not obstacles to it. If everyone were skilled, motivated, and easy to work with, we wouldn't need managers in the first place.

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Your role demands more than just hitting targets. It requires understanding why Mohammed seems disengaged lately, or why Grace's once-stellar performance has dropped like a stone in a quiet pond.?

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It means noticing when Olayinka's usual cheerfulness dims, suggesting personal struggles that might affect their work.

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Yes, this is hard work. Nobody said leading humans would be as simple as updating a spreadsheet.?

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Managing your team will sometimes feel like herding cats in a thunderstorm. Your best efforts might still result in missed targets. Your most careful plans might be sabotaged by human unpredictability.

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But that's exactly why you're paid more. That's why your title carries weight. Your job isn't to complain about these challenges but to overcome them. Like a skilled navigator steering a boat through rough waters, you must guide your team through difficulties while keeping the destination in sight.

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Leadership isn't about having perfect conditions. It's about achieving results despite imperfect conditions. Your team's shortcomings aren't excuses for failure – they're opportunities to prove your worth as a manager.

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Remember, every great African kingdom was built not just on the strength of its warriors but on the wisdom of its leaders in managing different personalities and challenges.?

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Your corporate team is your kingdom. Each member brings unique strengths and weaknesses. Your success depends on how well you understand and utilize these differences.

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So dear managers, step up or step aside. Stop hiding behind technical expertise and corporate jargon. Start doing the real work of managing humans – messy, complicated, emotional humans.?

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Your job isn't just about what needs to be done, but about who needs to do it and how to get them to do it effectively.

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The next time you're tempted to complain about your team's limitations, remember: that's what you're paid to handle. If you wanted a job dealing only with predictable variables, you should have chosen to manage machines, not people.

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It is time to earn your title, manager. The real measure of your success isn't in your technical knowledge or individual brilliance, but in your ability to achieve results through others – however imperfect those others might be.

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Now, go do your damned job!