Being a Cheerful Manager

Cheerfulness aside, all managers are tested. Managers are people who experience high-stress, long hours and lots of changes. Getting your manager head on the right side of all that can really make a difference in your ability to love the work you do.

Here are a few tips for remaining cheerful in the face of manager misery!

Deal With Negative Stress

Nothing is more dangerous than a tested manager who does nothing to create life balance. There are positive and negative stresses in life. For example, as a manager I'm frequently put under the microscope about the performance of my team, the approaching outcome of projects and a general desire to make results happen. This scrutiny causes high-stress levels that in me, result in things like grinding my teeth at night when I sleep, headaches and excessive fatigue. However, with just one little action, each day, I balance my negative stress and lower the effects of it. What action, I hear you asking? Exercise! Just a little exercise each day (i.e. a walk, some calisthenics or playing catch with your child) will bring the stress levels down and reduce their effect.

Pay It Forward

In the way of Benjamin Franklin, repay the nice things that other managers might do for you, by doing the same with other managers. There is so much competition between leaders to 'get ahead' that it can easily be forgotten that you yourself, got ahead because someone paid a good deed forward to you, giving you some advantage and ultimately success. No one ever manages a successful life and business in a vacuum! So, work for the good of those around you and reap the benefits of making other people look good. There are two ways of making yourself look good. You can make either make people around you look bad or you can do everything in your power to boost those around you higher. I guarantee, the latter of these two will always make you look great in the end! All of these positive investments come back to your life in multiples.

Leave on Time

Managers sometimes feel that they aren't really doing a good job unless they are working more than a 40 hours per week. It's old-school thinking at work here! Certainly a manager can produce more in more hours, but they will not be well rested nor will they be living a balanced life. There is plenty out there about the effects on personal life of the long work week. Work to make your job fit into a reasonable number of hours. The 40 hour work week might not be ideal for you, but start there anyway. Manage interruptions and do some daily planning for better focus and use of time. This will make whatever your hours are at work more productive and lead you to leave the office on time!

Work to Live

You can live to work or work to live. The choice is yours. Having outside interests makes you personally more interesting. You'll learn new skills and heighten your own spirits just by living to do other things than work. There are well worn phrases about how Jack was a dull boy working so much and so hard, so make sure to love your work, but work to live, always!

Make Friends with Change

It is easier to face changes when they don't start their lives as scary things from the planet "NO!" Develop a regular way of facing changes so that you are looking for positive benefits and effects rather than waiting for the horrible disasters you've made up will happen. Nothing is ever as bad as what we dream up for ourselves. When you catch yourself dabbling in the pool of negativity when faced with a change, stop and reposition yourself making it a point to find the benefits. Then focus on those positive benefits for the best experience possible.

The possibilities are endless when it comes to designing a better manager experience for yourself. Remember, the power and choices are all yours. Ultimately, you make it as easy or as hard on yourself as you like. So, make it easy and always choose cheerful!