As a manager, and especially a middle manager, it is important to know what your purpose is at work. Are you there to develop good work or good people?
Good people begets good work. Without people, there is no good work to be found.
Similar to title vs money, helping to cultivate good people is the cause; good work is the effect. Building good people has many other positive side effects:
- Unlocks people’s greatest potential
- Generates flexibility and durability
- Builds ever-lasting relationships
Good work is fickle and many times subjective. Also, there are too many external factors that can turn good work into not-so-good work. Your impact on people is something way more in your control; focusing on people gives your team every chance of producing good work…repeatedly.