re: What makes a Good Line Manager??

[postslippete]

A contradiction in terms?? Our line manager has been in the business a good few years, he's what you would call "old school". He probably doesn't like this new young breed of management arriving straight from college because he started his career as a humble postie for a good few years first (and has got the bite wounds to prove it). He understands how vital his staff are in keeping HIS section but his hand is being turned by the younger DOM figure above him who is more concerned with saving hours and talks about outputs, throughputs, workflow plans in daily meetings etc etc etc

And with this he has to show that he is adaptable and open to a new way of looking at things. Communicating that message to HIS staff in the section would always pose problems. Management was never meant to be that easy. So I am asking what makes a good lino??

Is it one that:


1. Always has Work, Time Learning sessions every week or is it one that conveniently forgets because he knows most staff would rather be somewhere else?
Answer: conveniently forgets

2. Accepts your decision when you tell them that you don't have time to lapse or does he make it awkward and difficult for you so that you end up taking the lapse?
Answer: sometimes I do get a little bit of a hard time when it comes to getting the lapse taken off.

3. Listens to you when you really don't wish to work with someone on a delivery or insist that you have to work with them because he has no other person/ cover to do the duty?
Answer: can't get the duty covered, you will have to work with that person

4. Thanks you for coming in to work your day off/short notice or just be relieved that the duty is covered for the day?
Answer: a bit of both

5. Often has daily huddles or one that doesn't see the point of daily huddles?
Answer: never had one!

6. Makes you feel on edge when there's a customer complaint about you or one that backs you up by discussing it with you in an open way?
Answer: he's so laid back it never feels that significant. The complainant complained and what's done is done

7. Always gives the others OVERTIME and doesn't even bother asking anyone else!
Answer: That is always the case...he can always rely on one or two 'brown-nosers' who will do anything for that overtime

8. Appears to have favourites with some staff, perhaps talking with them for most of the morning, and ignoring everybody else
Answer: Yes, they seem to know everything that is going on in the business

[Bishbashbbosh]

By the time you wrote all that, the question no longer makes sense

[arnold cheshire]

old school managers have long gone now

[Judgee]

Question: What makes a good line manager?

Answer: Lobotomy

[knackeredneedadayoff]

A soul helps

[Chelseablue]

One that makes the 90 percent tracked !,,,'' bonusssssssssssss

[Jpro747]

One who is polite and has people skills, doesn't cheat the system, always listens to staff concerns, treats everyone the same, works their full shift, deals with problems appropriately without using bully tactics.

In return the manager should expect a hard working motivated team who want to come in and do a good day's graft.

Unfortunately it appears rm still haven't heard of this management style

[postmandick]

I once stuffed my van into a barbed wire stock fence avoiding a rabbit

I 'owned up' to my old school manager' who called me a pillock

but said "this is what we will do/say for insurance" and it went down as a farm dog dashing out which I had to avoid

A little bit creative but no harm done and a lot less stress all round .

a good manager is one that is pragmatic ! will bollock you yes but also support you ....

a bit thin on the ground these days

[GT750rider]

I once stuffed my van into a barbed wire stock fence avoiding a rabbit

I 'owned up' to my old school manager' who called me a pillock

but said "this is what we will do/say for insurance" and it went down as a farm dog dashing out which I had to avoid

A little bit creative but no harm done and a lot less stress all round .

a good manager is one that is pragmatic ! will bollock you yes but also support you ....

a bit thin on the ground these days

Reminds me of when I started many years ago, I did several misdemeanors over an 18 month period. Each one was dealt with by an old-school manger who gave me a severe boll***ing, but nothing went on my record. Today, I would have been out the door on the first offence, probably.

[Bishbashbbosh]

I think it depends on the overall faith in the member of staff. If your a good employee, managers will go out of their way to help you. That's why you should try and be a generally helpful employee. Because one day, when you find yourself in trouble, it will pay off

[TrueBlueTerrier]

Honesty helps as well, if you cock up be upfront about it. I was about this forum and I am still here.

[5plusbonusball]

why have them at all when there is a dom and undermanager

[Burghboy]

I think it depends on the overall faith in the member of staff. If your a good employee, managers will go out of their way to help you. That's why you should try and be a generally helpful employee. Because one day, when you find yourself in trouble, it will pay off

Jackpot! Make yourself an asset then the manager will put their neck on the line for you, be the tool who moans about doing their job and goes out their way to get away with not putting a shift in and the gaffers see thru you!

[arnold cheshire]

old school 1990s

[bandit1157]

I think it depends on the overall faith in the member of staff. If your a good employee, managers will go out of their way to help you. That's why you should try and be a generally helpful employee. Because one day, when you find yourself in trouble, it will pay off

Jackpot! Make yourself an asset then the manager will put their neck on the line for you, be the tool who moans about doing their job and goes out their way to get away with not putting a shift in and the gaffers see thru you!

Both of the above quotes, IF ONLY!
I had 5 years of total warfare with a previous manager because I wouldn't put up with his bullsh1t, ie prepare D/D's at home in my own time. Finish throwing a walk in on 24hrs a week so I was out an hour after everyone else but expected to finish at the same time. Not paying money owed for months. Trying to move my start time to one to one and a half hours after everyone else had left the office, to allow time for my walk to be made ready, by who ?
Just a few examples which were all slapped by the area rep. After each slap everything was ok for about a week then he would think of some new and interesting way to shaft me.
I expect to have to earn my money, no problem whatsoever with that but you can only fit a pint in a pint glass. I will not be bullied into doing the impossible to make them look good.
I treat people how I would like to be treated, even now I'm willing to give people benefit of the doubt but Royal Mail management in my experience see goodwill as weakness and something to be exploited. As I refuse to be exploited apparently I have a problem