ReplyProcesses are managed. People are lead.
Probably why so many techs are upset at the shop previously mentioned. Very few people like to be managed.
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I thought the definition of manager was to manage others. I wouldn't expect a manager to do a tech's job. I'd expect a manager to manage the techs so they could do their job efficiently.
Beware of advice given by some guy on the Internet.
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Processes are managed. People are lead.
Probably why so many techs are upset at the shop previously mentioned. Very few people like to be managed.
Perhaps you should have read the instructions before calling.
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one of the last companies i worked for the service manager was always on call for back-up when the tech on call had a problem but he was never in the rotation cause of thisOriginally Posted by BigJon3475
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Been a manager for a few years now and I hate to bump old topics but I liked this one.
As manager you get many hats from counselor to medical advisor, to fireman and even arbitrator.
Managers manage the doers. I see managers who try to do still and you want to talk about severe and serious 3rd degree burn out that is it. Call duty absolutely not. Most techs / managers get the shot at being a manager because they are a good or the best tech in the shop and the boss wants it to run off to the others and run down hill. It just doesnt work out that way to often.
You have to have some one who can lead teach tech support be understanding and 1 hell of an innovative thinker in my opinion anyways. I love being a manager and couldn't dream of going back. Good managers are much harder to find than good technicians. Bad managers are a dime a dozen. Just look around your shop and imagine the guy next to you being your manager just because he has been there longer than you.
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True words. Most supervision in our shop are related, former friends from their days in the field, or the usual senior man gets the job senario.
See, the human mind is kind of like... a piñata. When it breaks open, there's a lot of surprises inside. Once you get the piñata perspective, you see that losing your mind can be a peak experience. ~Jane Wagner
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To me it stinks and it is the worst way to do it. Do you promote the guy out of loyalty or from the fact he can actually do the job.
I got my first managing job at age 25 and I have learned a ton since then. It is just so much more than being a good technician. In fact I wouldn't hire a technician at all for the job to be honest because the skill set is so much different than what is needed for such a different position.
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a good manager will lead by example. Is able and willing to do anything he askes of the ones he is leading and they will in most cases do thier best for him or her
try to manage them and you will find they resent it and you have nothing but problems
leadership is everything imho
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I didn't mean micro manage.
I mean provide support so a tech can do his job.
I still don't think a service manager should be catching calls unless everyone is tied up and it's critical to the company to run a call or two.
Beware of advice given by some guy on the Internet.
Professional Member
Exactly. The best supervisor that I ever had was like that. He always had his cell phone on and would help out anyone if they needed it. I'll never forget working one weekend on a hot summer's day on top of a building in downtown Cincinnati. He brought us Gatorade and supplies when he needed them and reassured us that he was only a phone call away if we needed more supplies or material. He went the extra mile for us so we were more than willing to go the extra mile for him.
My current employer has not caught on to this principle. They threaten, cuss, seek ways to "nail" a tech for minutia such as forgetting to check a box on a service invoice. They second guess, accuse, and belittle. And then, what gets me, they can't seem to figure out why no one wants to volunteer for overtime. Supervisors and management who are friends and relatives always seem to think that it's the greatest place in the world to work (To them it obviously is- little or no accountability and the use of the lowly tech as a "whipping boy" when something does go awry!). To me, it is the worst work environment that I have been involved in in all my years in the trade.
Nope, I wouldn't volunteer for someone who is verbally abusive even to the point of threatening violence. It's a sure fire de-motivator. Drill-instructor style mangement is counterproductive. All it does is motivate people to update their resumes.
See, the human mind is kind of like... a piñata. When it breaks open, there's a lot of surprises inside. Once you get the piñata perspective, you see that losing your mind can be a peak experience. ~Jane Wagner
Professional Member*
Responsibility varies by company. But I can tell you from experience, If something goes wrong it falls on the service manager. It is probably the most thank less job in the HVAC field. You need thick skin and a high level of self confidence. If you lack these traits, the job, Technicians, customers and owners will feast on your bones.
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