Devotions For New ManagersParaugs

Tip 3: See the People You Manage as People

It’s easy to get so caught up in the stresses of a management job that you start to think of the people you work with as inputs or expense items on a spreadsheet.

The biggest piece of advice that Tech CEO J.B. Wood gives to new managers is to remember the humanity of the people you manage. Wood puts it this way:

“As leaders, it's very easy to forget that our team and the people reporting to us are just that—they're people. And people—I don't care who you are—deep down they want to be acknowledged, they want to be appreciated. As leaders we shouldn't be doing things—we should be inspiring and developing people to help them be better. Show them that they're appreciated, that they're acknowledged, that we're listening, and we care about them. I think it goes a huge way towards helping those people to be more productive.”

When you’re stressing over a tough problem at work, take a moment to refocus on your team and their needs. As Philippians 2:3 puts it: think of other people as better than yourself. When you put the needs of the people you manage ahead of your own, you demonstrate the “same mind that was in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 2:4). It’s not just biblical, it’s sound business advice. Your success as a manager depends on the success of the people you manage. Put their wellbeing first, in any concrete ways you can think of: show appreciation for their work, acknowledge their efforts, and listen to their concerns. 

The work of a manager isn’t easy, but with God’s help it can be holy work.

Prayer: God, thank you for the work you have given me to do. May I grow in faith through the responsibility you have given me. May my workplace be a safe haven for all who work there. May we as a team bless the wider world through our work. 

If you enjoyed this plan, find more plans from the Theology of Work Project at www.theologyofwork.org/devotions