Here is to a good manager I met

I recently saw a forum post on “How to be a good manager”. There were plenty of good points on managers delivering on an agreed set of objectives, creating an environment for great teams to thrive in, etc. All the points are very valid, indeed.

In my view, these are implicit and self-obvious qualities for being a good manager. Why would you even have to mention them? Obviously, every manager has these qualities. Look at everyone’s profiles on Linkedin! You will hardly find anyone who doesn’t do all this :-).

What is often a forgotten characteristic in the race to chalk up successes, is the human factor. Often seen as the domain of the “people manager”, for me the most important characteristic is how the manager can “take care of his team”. Each consultant, software engineer, tester and business analyst (or any other function in any industry, that you may think of) is different and has different levels of maturity, emotional intelligence, skills and needs. For me, how the manager can ensure the best deal for his team members, while keeping the bigger objectives in mind (project, deliverables etc.) is what sets him apart.

A few years back, I wanted to change jobs. However, there were practical difficulties due to which I didn’t know if the new gig would come through. If it did, I wanted to go real quick, because of personal reasons (pregnant wife, changing countries). If it didn’t, naturally I wanted to stay.

Both my manager and I had joined the organization almost at the same time. While I had chosen to stick to the technical line, he moved to the managerial line and now managed the team I was in. We had a good relationship built on mutual respect. I was an important member of his team, being the Software Architect. We were in a sort-of transition, involving close co-operation with international teams, and there were many youngsters in the team, who looked at us oldies (at age 32!!) for guidance. I knew the last thing he would want at the moment was my leaving.

I told him my reasoning quite plainly, the reasoning why I wanted to leave and the chance I had. He wasn’t happy and  tried to change my mind. Finally, when I told him that this was the best option for me, he didn’t argue further.

“When will you know if this comes through”, he asked! "I hope within 3 weeks", I replied. We had a 1 month notice period, where I worked. I didn’t want to wait 4 weeks after the job came through. I could start now with any knowledge transfers and handing over responsibilities but I wanted to leave immediately after I got an OK. “What if it doesn’t come through … will you stay?”, he asked. “Till the next opportunity knocks”, I replied frankly. He knew the reasoning for my frustration with the current job.

“You are gonna get me scr**ed”, he grinned and I knew he would help me. He asked me to hand over my resignation letter dated with the current date, which I had ready. He signed it on the spot, dated the same day, and gave it back to me. “If it doesn’t come through or if you decide to stay anyways”, he said, “just tear it up. Your as* is covered, now to figure out how to cover mine. ”.

The work permit got sorted out 3 weeks later, and I flew out with my 6-month pregnant wife a week later. A lot of people were surprised at the short notice, but I was covered by the signed resignation letter. My manager is now at the other end of the world, and I sometimes like his kids’ photos on facebook. They are lovely kids and IMHO, he is a great manager. I don’t know if he meets the agreed set of objectives and creates an environment for high performance teams to function in, but I know he would cover for his team, when required. That is a rare quality.