Monica Ene-Pietrosanu, Country Manager at Intel, was invited last week at Tech-Lounge Talks in Politehnica University.
You learn the most from your mistakes. It’s important to always move forward, Monica Ene-Pietrosanu.
Together with Andrei Pitis, they talked, based on their own personal and extensive experience, about mistakes managers make.
Here are some of them:
# Mistake – Find the excuse vs. Get the job done
You have 2 paths to choose from: performance and excuses. If you always find excuses, you won’t do anything. The first rule is to believe it’s possible.
Tip: When discovering a problem, find also the solution. Otherwise, you’re just complaining.
# Mistake – Fail to develop people
The test for a manager is not what he/she can do, but what others can do without she/him. Managers are often afraid that, if they develop people, they will become useless. If people don’t grow, there will be no one to delegate to.
Trap: managers are often problem solvers (ex: When a subordinate approaches them with a problem, they try to solve it)
“It’s important that my team is better than I am” , said Monica Ene Pietrosanu adding that most often managers take themselves to serious.
# Mistake – Joining the wrong crowd
Pay attention who you represent and what are you in charge of. There is a danger of being perceiving more as a union leader than a manager. Moreover, your team might end up perceiving you as powerless and weak.
Build loyalty
Loyalty is not about agreeing with everything you say, or believing that you’re always right, is about fighting for a common ideal.
# Mistake -Manage everyone the same way
This is not about fairness, it is about style and understanding each individual’s growth and needs (gets inspired by leadership style in US, Germany and UK). In Romania, one of the common mistakes is to treat the cigarette break as a “one-on-one meeting”.
# Mistake – Concentrate on problems rather than objectives
Together with your team, you should focus on a common goal, rather than problems. You need to build an organization where mistakes can be made. Do not accept twice the same mistakes, though.
“Only the ones who do not work, make no mistakes” Monica-Ene Pietrosanu
# Mistake – Be a buddy, not a boss
If you are a manager, try not to bring too much from your personal life into the office. People need a boss, not a buddy.
# Mistake – Try to manipulate people
Management is the skill of obtaining predetermined objectives through and with the voluntary cooperation of others. People fall in love with theirs ideas, not yours.
Tips for young managers: delegate, do not stay in the comfort zone, adapt your skill set, and improve your time management skills.
5 things for a successful product:
- Create a unique product, at the perfect time, with the proper capital, together with the wright people and the best managers.
