Manager or Supervisor?

Give some thought to this:

• Do you ever suggest-but-not-really-because-it's-more-like-you-insist that one of your direct reports hire someone?
• Do you ever tell them that you don't want them to hire someone?

If you have ever done either of these, no matter what your direct report's title is, you have turned them into a supervisor.

A supervisor supervises daily work that is defined by someone else. A manager decides what the work is. They also have the power to hire and fire. Take that away, and they're not a manager any more. And the moment their direct reports know that - whether you want to or not - you take on being that team's manager, because they won't bother to go to the supervisor for anything any more. Why should they? You've taken all of that former manager's power away.

If you don't trust a manager to hire or fire people, you have the wrong manager. Fire them. If you don't trust anyone else to hire and fire, you've created a hierarchy with just 2 levels: you, and everyone else. There are some profound ramifications to that:

• Your managers won't own the success or failure of their team members. Why should they? They didn't even get to decide who those team members are.
• Your managers' direct reports will come to you whenever they get a 'no' from their manager. Congratulations! Mom said no, so now they go to dad. You've turned your organization into a dysfunctional family, just like you always dreamed about.
• Turnover: If your managers' direct reports aren't owned by their manager, they won't get what they need. People who don't get what they need leave. And guess what? Managers who find out that they're not really managers leave, too, to go work for organizations where they can be managers. Which is most of them.

The solution: Let go! You hired managers to do what you are either bad at or don't have the bandwidth to do. Let them be managers, for Pete's sake. And if they fail, give them some encouragement and talk it through with them. If they don't improve, replace them. If they do, congratulations - you have an hierarchy that works.

Moving Pianos

My entire career has been about moving pianos.

I did actually used to move pianos, years ago, when my back was younger than any of me is now. What I learned then has informed my work process ever since. The only time I've failed is when I didn't pay attention to the rules of piano moving, which are as follows:

The Customer gets to pick the piano
You can influence that decision, of course, depending upon whether the Customer (or the Customer's associates - i.e., spouse and/or children) plan to use the piano to noodle around on or to train the next Rachmaninoff. Ultimately, though, it's the Customer's dime. If they want a zebra-striped 21-foot grand and can afford it, it's their right to get that hideous monstrosity.

Yes, you want a lamp - and a grandfather clock
When Customers purchase a big-ticket item, like a piano or a database, payroll service, CRM, etc., sign the deal for that first. Then, once that deal is locked, suggest add-ons that go well with the original item, like a lamp so they can see their sheet music better, a certain amount of additional storage in the cloud, etc. Customers who've just made a large purchase are much more likely to say yes - after all, they've already said yes to the big, scary decision; anything after that is easy - and it's your job to fill the new needs created by their original decision.

The Customer decides where the piano goes - within limits
Customers always have interesting ideas about where the piano should go. The third floor? Sure, why not - provided that the floor is sufficiently braced to take the weight. Full-sized pianos are like full bookcases - they weigh a lot, and the Customer has a right to be angry if their floor starts to warp or sag and you didn't advise them that that was likely to happen. It might be more convenient for you to put the piano in the living room, where you won't have to take off its legs and turn it on its side to negotiate those treacherous, hernia-inducing stairs, but it's the Customer's house, and the piano goes where they want it. But I would still get it in writing that you've told them about that floor - just in case.

Do you want your piano tuned?
Pianos - real pianos, as opposed to their digital cousins - need regular tuning. You may offer a certain number of tunings for free, and possibly a package price if they sign up for a regular course of these after the fact. Unlike additional warranties, tuning is necessary if you don't want the neighborhood dogs to howl every time you play. You may not be who they choose to do the tunings, of course, so it's in your best interest to offer a fair price for that package to lock them in. Unless, of course, you don't mind your Customers tweeting or Facebooking that you robbed them.

What do your extended family and friends think of your piano?
It is a given that anyone who purchases a piano will show it off, partly to reassure themselves that they've made a good decision, and partly because they're proud to own something so cool. So call the Customer 2 weeks or so after the first tuning and ask what their extended family and friends think. Did any of them mention that they wish they had a piano? If so, let your Customer know that you would be honored to help their friends choose a piano that will be the perfect fit for their needs - and that they can get some kind of break for mentioning that they know your Customer.