What Kind of Manager Are You?

I found four types of managers when it comes to supporting flexibility.

Ideal Managers. They embrace the importance flexibility plays in individual and team success.

They model it and are unafraid to proactively support it for others. This post is not about them. If this is your manager, thank them in person or via a note. Trust me they will appreciate it! And count your good fortune.

Lost Cause (for now) Managers. They don’t get it and don’t want to get it.

They don’t need flexibility (or haven’t yet) and see no need to support it. This post is not geared for them either. My advice for employees is to steer clear of these managers. It will take too much time and energy to get them on board (if even possible). They might see the light but likely not soon enough for your mental and physical health.

The remaining two types are my focus.

Misguided Managers. They say “No” but mean “Yes”.

I asked one of these manager how he felt about flexible work, he emphatically said, “I am against it.” I was taken aback! I had seen him support his team. So I probed deeper. “What if someone is traveling later in the day or had someone coming to the house for a repair, would you be okay if they worked from home?” He replied, “Oh, I am fine with that.” “What about someone who is pregnant or sick and has a hard time with the commute?” “They should definitely do whatever they need to do,” he answered. Each use case I raised, he explained why he was okay with flexibility then.

Feeling vindicated, I challenged him, “From what I hear, you are for flexible work. You just believe in parameters.” He paused. I held my breath, hoping I had not pushed too hard, too fast. I was relieved when he chuckled softly, “I guess you are right.” We then talked about to reframe his position. When he communicated he was against flexibility, the discussion stopped. When he instead talked through his parameters, it opened a productive dialogue.

So managers think about how you frame your point of view. You might be sending an unintended message. Experiment and try new things. This is a great tool but that doesn’t mean you will get it right every time.

Fearful Managers. They understand the importance of flexibility but are afraid to support.

When I had my first son, I worked at a large law firm. I was one of a handful of women in my department and the only one with an infant. The long hours in the office were taking a toll. Much of my work was research and writing which I did best at home. I approached the managing partner and explained what I needed, which was to work a couple days a week from home. He asked me how it would work and I laid out my proposal. He was willing to give it a try although he expressed concerns. (My next post is about how to set up an arrangement like this successfully; spoiler alert, they now have an extensive program.)

Since then, I had managers reach out because someone wants flexibility. They say, “I want to support them but I don’t know if I can.” I ask, “What is your concern?” Common ones are rooted in myths.

If I do it for this person, won’t others will find and want to do it too?

If someone else wants it, then you evaluate their request in the context of their role and responsibilities. It is important to bring these discussions out in the open and not have “secret” arrangements. It is a manager’s role to help everyone on their team be effective.

How will I know this person is performing well? Does this mean the person isn’t as committed as I need them to be?

How do you know they are performing now? This is really a basic trust issue. Just because you see someone at their desk, doesn’t mean they are effective or even working. Performance needs to be measured. Flexibility doesn’t change this but may expose a manager that uses face time as a performance indicator. If you don’t trust you team as a manager, you have work to do either because you have the wrong people on your team or you have not set the right expectations.

Can I be a successful manager and support my team in this way?

What makes you a good manager now? Your effectiveness should be judged on the performance of the team. If done well, providing flexibility where needed should help your team operate optimally. Seek and provide frequent feedback on what works and doesn’t. You might need to make adjustments as you go.

My parting thoughts for managers; flexible work is about allowing you and your team to develop strategies for everyone to be more effective. Foster an open environment where you model flexibility and talk about what you and others need. This will improve morale, increase fun, productivity and retention.

My next blog post will share what it takes to set up successful arrangements.