Why Do the Best Managers Tend to be Great Teachers - Business Insight
Why Do the Best Managers Tend to be Great Teachers
by Vincent Low
Schools in Singapore just celebrated Teacher’s Day on 4th September.
Well, I’m sure a few of our favourite teachers have inspired and made positive impacts in our lives in many interesting ways. They were firm but kind, strict yet attentive in our formative years.
Do you have any memories of your favourite teacher? Mine was a Literature teacher during my Secondary 3 days. Mrs C made the class of boys fall in love with Shakespeare’s Merchant of Venice and Poetry ( Wilfred Owen ).
Just like the late Robin William’s character in the movie, Dead Poets Society, Mrs C inspired the class with Literature filled with fun, critical thinking and analysis, along with the appreciation of the English language. And most importantly she inspired us constantly to Carpe Diem ( Seize the Day )!
More often than not, in my opinion, the best managers tend to have the qualities of being great teachers with compelling qualities — let me share three reasons why.
1) Great Teachers Demonstrate Clear Communications
The best teachers are those who are able to express their thoughts in a succinct and cogent manner. They are able to define the matter of a subject clearly and at every stage of their lesson, be it a math equation or a complex scientific formula. The student will always be able to understand and relate to the subject.
Just like a teacher, a good manager must also be a great communicator. The team members need to know the goals that are being set for them, and how they achieve them. Before I talk to my staff, I often jot down the objectives and framework so that the discussion is focused and concise.
2) Great Teachers Give Constructive Feedbacks
A good teacher does not just give an answer to a question and let the student figure out what went wrong. They take time to go through the question in detail and make sure the student realises where exactly went wrong. They might have missed a step to the solution, or they just made a careless mistake.
Similarly, a good manager takes time to give constructive feedback to the team members. Most of the time, we all know what went wrong; we just don’t know why. I encourage you to take the time to give detailed feedback to your team. It may be time consuming, but it’s definitely worth your while.
Along the way in my career, I learn to come from a perspective of helping my team grow in their skill sets, and not just assessing their performances. Everyone makes mistakes; and giving constructive feedback helps us not make the same ones repeatedly.
3) Great Teachers Care For Their Students
A good teacher is not just someone who “transfers'' information to the students. He acts as a parental figure, takes care of his student’s well-being beyond the grades. He makes an effort to find out the difficulties his students face, and even personal challenges that might have been a roadblock to effective learning.
Likewise, a good manager does not treat his team members as just another cog in the wheel, he values and cares for them. As the adage goes - “People don’t care how much you know, until they know how much you care.” I have found that when you genuinely care for someone in the workplace, they tend to invest more in their work and give their best to the team, even if they might be going through a rough patch.
I came across a quote by Terry Heick that says “‘Everyone, in some respect, is a teacher; some just work harder to do it better.” I hope some of my insights have helped you understand better on how to manage your team - now work hard to be a great teacher!
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