The Manager's Manual: How to be the Boss without Being a Boss

This manual covers how to build teamwork, motivate employees and create an engaging work environment. Get all the tips you need

December 22, 2022
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How would you describe your job to a five year old?
What season would you be?
What is a weird food you have tried? Would you eat it again?
What is your favorite holiday tradition?
Would you go in the mother-ship with aliens if they landed on Earth tomorrow?
What is your favorite season?
Do prefer working from home or the office?
What is your earliest memory of this job?
What is the best thing you have bought so far this year?
What is the earliest book you remember?
If you had to move to another country, which one would you choose?
You are the best criminal mastermind in the world. What crime would you commit if you knew you would get away with it?
What is your favorite movie genre to watch?
What was the last thing you ate?
What person from history would you add to Mount Rushmore?
What is a weird fact you know?
What is your favorite part of working from home?
Were the Spice Girls a good team?
Imagine you can instantly learn any language. Which would you choose?
If you could live in any state, which state would you pick?
Which fictional team is the best team of all time?
What did you want to be when you grew up?
What do you usually eat for a quick lunch?
What simple food will you never eat?
Show us the weirdest thing you have in the room with you right now.
Would you rather stay at a hotel or an AirBNB?
What is your favorite movie genre to watch?
Are you more productive in the morning or at night?
Who is someone in your community that makes a difference?
Who was your most unique pet?
Choose one famous person from history you want on your team during a zombie apocalypse.
What is a good way to give back to the community?
Which song could you listen to over and over again?
Is Hugh Grant funny?
What is your favorite thing to eat for breakfast?
Would you want to have an imaginary friend today? Did you have one as a child?
What actor or actress would you want to play you in the movie about your life?
What is the best super power?
What is your New Years resolution?
You can only eat one food again for the rest of your life. What is it?
What is the best work holiday?
What is the first gift you remember receiving?
Would you rather join Metallica or Backstreet Boys?
What is the best example of a community you have seen?
What is an easy way to do something nice for someone?
Show us your phone background and tell the story behind why you picked this image.
What was your first job?
Pick any band to play at your funeral.
If you could have an unlimited supply of one thing for the rest of your life, what would you pick?
Which superpower would you give to your arch enemy?
What is the most obscure superpower you would want?
What emoji best describes how you are feeling right now?
If you could live in any country, which country would you pick?
Would you rather live in a city or a town?
What is your favorite holiday?
What is something you accomplished as part of a team?
What is your standard office lunch?
What is your most used phone app?
What is your favorite season?
Have you ever won something as a team?
Imagine you are a professional baseball player. What is your introduction song?
Beach holiday or ski trip?
Have you ever been to a funny comedy show?
Would you rather live at the North Pole or the South Pole?
What is your favorite song to sing?
If you could live in any state, which state would you pick?
Imagine you could teleport anywhere. Where would you go right now?
What is the most unusual job you have heard of?
What was the last thing you ate?
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What movie defined your generation?
You are stranded on a remote desert island. Are you alone or with your worst enemy?
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Have you ever told someone Santa is not real?
Do you know how to speak more than one language?
On a scale of 1 – 10, how much of a team player are you?
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What is your favorite holiday?
What bucket list item do you most want to check off in the next six months?
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What was the first way you made money?
If you could be great at any Olympic sport, which would it be?
Which song could you listen to over and over again?
When did you start liking/hating mushrooms?
Where is your favorite vacation spot?
Do you take your PTO all at one time, or another way?
Which show do you remember most from your childhood?
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Would you want to have a personal assistant follow you around everywhere and do what you asked of them?
Have you ever met your idol?
What did you want to be when you grew up?
Would you rather live 100 years in the past or 100 years in the future?
What is your hobby?
When you are alone in the car, what volume is the music at?
Imagine you no longer have to work. How would you spend a Tuesday?
What is your favorite type of sandwich?

 Becoming a manager is no easy feat. It requires a great deal of responsibility and can be a difficult job. But it doesn’t have to be a daunting task. It’s not just about leading by example and being a good leader but also about knowing how to manage employees and keep them motivated.

In this article, we’ll provide ten specific tips on being a good manager and advice on ensuring you are successful in your role. Being a good manager is all about setting clear goals and expectations and communicating openly and effectively with your employees. Establishing trust and respect with your employees and motivating them to reach their goals is important.

With the right tips and advice, anyone can be a successful manager.

Here Are 10 Tips On Being The Boss Without Being A Boss:


1. Set Clear Goals
One of the most important parts of being a manager is setting clear goals for your team. You need to make sure that everyone is on the same page and knows what is expected of them. You should also be open to feedback from your team and be willing to adjust the goals if necessary.

2. Communicate Openly and Effectively
Effective communication is key when it comes to being a successful manager. You need to be able to communicate your expectations clearly and efficiently. You should also be open to listening to your team and considering their feedback.

3. Establish Trust and Respect With Employees
Employees need to feel that they can trust and respect their manager. The best way to do this is to be open and honest with them.

By learning their strengths and weaknesses and gathering feedback, they can see you're willing to listen to their opinions and value their input.

4. Motivate Employees
Another important part of being a manager is motivating your employees. You need to make sure that they feel valued and appreciated. This can be done through recognition, rewards, and other forms of incentive.

5. Provide Feedback
It’s important to provide constructive feedback to your employees on a regular basis. You can use feedback tools to help them to see where they are excelling and where they need to improve. You should also be open to receiving honest feedback from your employees and taking their suggestions into consideration.

6. Lead By Example
Leading by example is one of the best ways to be an effective manager. It allows your employees to feel an emotional connection. Show your team that you are willing to put in the same hard work and dedication that you expect them to. This will help to create a culture of hard work and dedication.

7. Show Appreciation
It’s important to show your employees that you appreciate their hard work. This can be done through recognition, rewards, and other forms of appreciation. Showing your employees that you are grateful for their efforts will go a long way in creating a positive work environment.

8. Hold Yourself Accountable
As a manager, it’s important to hold yourself accountable for your actions. It allows you to delegate tasks and effectively boost employee engagement.It also ensures that if you make a mistake, own up to it and be willing to learn from it. This will show your employees that you are human and ready to take responsibility for your mistakes.

9. Be Decisive
As a manager, you need to be able to make decisions quickly and effectively. You should be confident in your decisions and willing to stand by them. This will show your employees that you are capable of making difficult decisions and that they can trust your judgment.

10. Listen
Finally, it’s important to listen to your employees. Listen to their ideas and suggestions and take them into consideration. This will show your employees that you value their opinions and are open to hearing what they say.

Manager Advice


In addition to the above tips, there are a few other pieces of general advice that can help you be a successful manager.

The first is to not micromanage. Instead, you need to give your employees some freedom and autonomy to do their jobs without you hovering over them.

The second is to balance your work and personal life. As a manager, it’s important to make sure that you are taking time for yourself and not getting overwhelmed by work. This will help you to stay focused and productive.

Conclusion

Becoming a great manager may be a difficult task, but it's not an impossible feat.

Even the most talented managers operate on specific sets of rules, typically established across any number of industries. It's important to know that every team member is part of a bigger piece of the puzzle. Everyone brings something to the table and it's up to the manager to ensure that everyone fits together into a meaningful whole.

With these 10 tips, we hope you'll be on your way to becoming a successful manager, leading your team to success and becoming the boss without being a boss.

Assembly is an online platform that helps teams collaborate, manage tasks, and stay on top of deadlines. Sign up for free to learn more.

Browse our Free Employee Recognition Guide

Get the foundational knowledge on creating an employee recognition program that boosts employee engagement and helps them feel valued.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is Assembly SOC 2 compliant?

Yes, at Assembly, security is a top priority. Each quarter, we have ongoing security work that is everyone’s responsibility. While we maintain a strong security posture, it was important for us to prove to our customers that we do everything we claim to do. This led us to pursue a SOC 2 Type II report that would provide evidence of our compliance with industry gold-standard security practice.

What's the ROI for employee recognition?

There is study after study showing that employee recognition leads to increased engagement. This in return creates an environment where employees are happier and more motivated which increase productivity and reduces voluntary turnover significantly. In order to filled critical roles, companies tend to spend nearly twice the value of an annual salary. Assembly is an investment in your employees that supports your bottom line.

Does Assembly offer longer-term contracts?

Yes, we will offer contracts for companies with longer-term agreements to help larger customers have more certainty around future costs.

The minimum agreement term is a 12-month subscription.

Does Assembly offer onboarding support?

We do and for FREE! Any new customer needing further support to get started with Assembly to ensure you're set up for success can request custom onboarding support. Improving your employee experience is about much more than just using our amazing software; it’s about transforming your business to create a workplace that people love. That’s much easier to do with the personal support and advice from our passionate people experts.

Is there a free version of Assembly?

Yes. We offer a completely free plan for up to 50 team members. This plan is intended for teams or organizations that are looking to get started with an employee engagement tool. Keep in mind, this plan is limited in features.

All customers can open an Assembly account for free and get started without a credit card. Then you can change plans as necessary.

How much do rewards cost?

At the time of redemption (when your employees exchange their points for a paid reward) you'll pay face value. If a reward is a $10 Amazon gift card, your cost will be $10. All paid rewards are billed for on a monthly basis.

The good news is that you don't have to pay for rewards upfront because we only charge you when points are redeemed, not when they're earned.

Does Assembly offer discounts?

We offer discounts or educational or charitable organizations. In order to secure a discount, you'll first need to book a demo with a customer support specialist.

For all other organizations, we are willing to consider longer-term agreements in exchange for discounts. To set up annual plans or longer, you will need to book a demo with a customer support specialist.

How do I cancel my plan if needed?

If you're on a month to month plan, you can go here and cancel anytime. If you're having concerns or need help setting up your account for success, you can always book a demo with a customer support specialist.

If you're on a longer-term custom plan, you'll need to reach out to your customer support specialist to cancel your account or email us at support@joinassembly.com.

What customizations are available?

Great question! You can customize your core values to match your organization's to boost and track alignment. You can change your currency from the 🏆 emoji (our default) to any emoji of your choice. You can swap our logo for your own. You can also set up company culture rewards such as, "Lunch with the CEO," "Buy a book on us," and so much more!

Who can give or receive recognition?

While we recommend a peer to peer set up where anyone in your organization can give or receive recognition, you can set up Assembly however you want. If you need to limit the people who can give or receive recognition, that's perfectly fine and can be done from your Admin, here.

What integrations are available?

Assembly connects to the tools your employees use every day to offer an easy, seamless experience with minimal change management.  

Assembly has integrations with HCM/HRIS systems like ADP, Google, Office 365, and Slack. We also integrate with communication tools like Slack and Teams so you and your employees can access Assembly wherever they work now.

What's your average adoption rate?

That depends on the company's permissions set up. That said, over 90% of the employees on Assembly's platform are recognized on a monthly basis. That means nearly every employee across all of our customers are receiving regular recognition from their peers, managers, or leadership. We're extremely proud of this.

Must rewards be set up to use Assembly?

They are not required. You can use Assembly without having rewards set up. However, we don't recommend it if you intend to have a high adoption and usage rate. You can always keep the costs down by offering internal culture rewards that are fulfilled by you internally.

Are points required to use Assembly?

No, you can remove allowances from anyone or everyone. It's up to you but we do recommend using points whether they're worth a real dollar value or not. Companies that use points have a much higher engagement rate even if those points don't exchange for real dollars.

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