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Topic: What makes someone a good manager?

Steve Scott
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1300
From: Minneapolis, MN
Registered: Sep 2000

posted 07-23-2002 01:21 AM

Dave, I totally agree with your viewpoint on teenagers.

Having worked with employees as young as 14 at my previous theater, I can tell you that there are a lot of kids who will think that because they have to do daily tasks (not because you tell them it needs to be done, but for the operation of the theater) they think that you're impeading on their freedom. Like I said, you're there to bring order to chaos and that involves assigning jobs that have to be done to people that may not want to do them.

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Tony Ratcliff
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 216
From: Madison, IN, USA
Registered: Mar 2002

posted 07-23-2002 01:22 PM

I am an owner/manager.

I have to chime in on the comments about teen workers.
I have to admit I have had the pleasure of having some outstanding kids work for me. But for the most part I have to agree that today's kids, in general, lack any respect for what it means to actually "work" at a job. When I try to teach them, I am looked at like "you expect me to do THAT for minimum wage!".

Let's face it, working a theatre is not exactly back breaking work (usually!). But it still ALL has to get done and done right - not just the parts of the job that are easy and/or quick.
I've had some kids leave my employ to find "real money" working at a local factory. Then they come crawling back to me after they found out what the real world is like. Amazing how much differently they look at the job.

Well, I'm done harping.

Tony

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System Notices
Forum Watchdog / Soup Nazi

Posts: 215

Registered: Apr 2004

posted 11-14-2006 03:55 AM

It has been 1574 days since the last post.

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Dominic Espinosa
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1172
From: California, U.S.A.
Registered: Jan 2004

posted 11-14-2006 03:55 AM

Time for a revival of this ol' post!

After paying dues as a booth manager, and assistant I'm finally ascending! 7 months ago I got the keys to my first theater.

Unfortunately, due to circumstances I didn't get any training on being a manager, just the technical stuff.
The first few months were bumpy.
I've since learned most of the ins and outs outlined in this thread but there's a lot left to learn.

Lately, I wonder how some managers seem to be so sure-footed, everything thought out, no matter what the situation.
They seem to motivate their people without trying.
How does one get to that state of being so suscinct, and well polished?

Is this just something that comes from being tempered by a decade plus in the business?
What can I do to help move toward being a better manager?
Most of my employees respond well, work hard for me, are loyal to the business and I give them every bit of praise I can.
I seem to be at a loss however for motivating the rest to take any pride in the simplest of all tasks like tucking in their shirt! [Confused]

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Dave Williams
Wet nipple scene

Posts: 1836
From: Salt Lake City, UT, USA
Registered: Jan 2000

posted 11-14-2006 05:57 AM

I now work in a call center for one of the largest financial concerns in the world. The training department has decided to use my telephone calls in their trainings as the "what to do right". All new employees sit with me for four hours to listen in and learn a little.

They feel that I will make a great impact that way. Nice to know they love me.

I am the lead operator in one of our high end projects, as I wrote most of the rules. I work the night shift to provide assistance to about 30 inbound sales reps on just about every think that they do.

They are getting ready to lose me however, Risk Management in our area is looking to move me up a few pay grades, since I am already doing that job anyway. I would get a day shift, and off the phones forever.

YEAH.

Managing is a talent that you get at birth. Loud and noisy babies will be well respected when they grow up. They are used to commanding respect from birth. I do not think that you can train leadership.

I have people six pay grades above me jumping when I say jump. Really I did. Long story, but all it takes is believing that you can do it.

Ciao

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Kenneth Wuepper
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1026
From: Saginaw, MI, USA
Registered: Feb 2002

posted 11-14-2006 06:36 AM

Ellis Merkley, Manager of the Temple theatre from 1929 to 1976, taught me the secret of being confident in all situations. His answer was simply to do your "what if thinking". That is when you have free time you think of a situation and "what if" this happened, how would I best handle it. Having these situations in mind and having already solved them, you can be very confident on the floor and handle situations easily since you have solved them before, in your mind.

One of my stage crew was trained in projection. He was told of this process and worked himself into a state. He got so involved in finding possible problems that he could hardly function. He later told me that he had fallen into a state of "hiper-mentallating" where he was solving so many problems he could not function.

I have since found that there is a comfortable amount of mental problem solving that will enhance your confidence and efficiency on the job.

Try it, you'll like it!

KEN [Wink]

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Caleb Johnstone-Cowan
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 593
From: London, UK
Registered: Mar 2006

posted 11-14-2006 07:37 PM

Have to say this stuff is gold. Will probably try to get a mangerial job in a cinema when university is over next year. Some of the managers I worked with were useless, could have done with reading this thread.

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Christopher Crouch
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 128
From: Holywood, ca, usa
Registered: May 2006

posted 11-15-2006 05:38 AM

quote: Dominic Espinosa
Lately, I wonder how some managers seem to be so sure-footed, everything thought out, no matter what the situation.
They seem to motivate their people without trying.
How does one get to that state of being so suscinct, and well polished?

Is this just something that comes from being tempered by a decade plus in the business?
What can I do to help move toward being a better manager?

Time and experience definitely help. However, as I'm sure everyone has experienced, just having been in the position for an extended period doesn't automatically make for a quality manager. I think Kenneth touched on a major aid; being proactive and regularly initiating "what if thinking" builds a backlog to call upon. I'd also add that it's important to be flexible with your ideas, willing to recognize when you are wrong and make the necissary adjustments (most "bad" managers are those who fail to learn and grow from their mistakes).

The very fact that you recognize your need for growth and desire to become a better manager places you on the right path. In my opinion, that's what seperates good managers from mediocre or bad managers; recognizing your areas of need and trying to improve upon them.

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Jim Ziegler
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 753
From: West Hollywood, CA
Registered: Jul 99

posted 11-22-2006 04:54 AM

quote:
Is this just something that comes from being tempered by a decade plus in the business?
What can I do to help move toward being a better manager?
Most of my employees respond well, work hard for me, are loyal to the business and I give them every bit of praise I can.
I seem to be at a loss however for motivating the rest to take any pride in the simplest of all tasks like tucking in their shirt! [Confused]

A lot of it really is confidence built through experience.

The employees you have that just won't respond and do the basics may just need to be done away with. One of the things that you get a feel for with some experience are the ones you can mold into what you want them to be, and the ones you can't.

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Dominic Espinosa
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1172
From: California, U.S.A.
Registered: Jan 2004

posted 01-11-2007 02:41 AM

This might be a question more for Dave than anyone else.
I'm looking at a possible move again for the same company.
I'd be taking on one of our older places.
Over the time I've spent here I've only heard bad things about this theater though.
High turn-over, and managers seem to come and go in this place.

Initially I see the market is quite affluent and so kids working at this place don't need or in most cases want the job so the theater is constantly hiring.

When I first took over my current location I lost more than half the original staff because they either didn't care about their jobs enough to continue showing up and/or they didn't want to follow the rules.
My turnover has dropped to normal since then but I'm worried I'll come into this new place and end up being the only one there!

Any suggestions?

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James Westbrook
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1133
From: Lubbock, Texas, Usa
Registered: Mar 2006

posted 01-11-2007 12:58 PM

Sounds like to me that theatre needs someone like you to enforce the policies and clean house. Your current theatre seems to be stable now because of your willing to do what needs to be done.
I'm sure you will have the hiring forms and paperwork on the ready.

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Frank Dubrois
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 896
From: Cleveland, OH
Registered: Mar 2005

posted 01-11-2007 03:26 PM

quote: Christopher Crouch
regularly initiating "what if thinking"

This is called "common sense". Most people don't initiate "what if thinking" in everyday life...its those people that you watch do stupid things and are regularly called "idiots". Putting "common sense" on the job into context, a good manager won't go off on employees for little trivial matters ie a couple missed pieces of popcorn...a garbage that they COULD have emptied but possibly got sidetracked doing other work..etc. There are often policies in place that call for an employee getting written up for being even 1 minute late....is that really called for? Especially if the kid in question is a good worker and is rarely late? In my opinion, a manager is there to ensure a smooth running operation, everything is clean and working properly, and ensure a clean presentable envirement....and do paperwork. I never see anything gained (respect or work habits) by being a heavy handed manager. On the other hand, if you don't have control of your employees and gain their respect, you will lose all control. In other words... BALANCE is whats needed. Sweat the details, but don't sweat the little things. Make any sense? [Confused]

I think this type of managing CAN be taught, mainly by past experience and watching your co-managers. How are they treating the employees and how are they treated in return? Is that what you want? If so...follow their lead, if not, make changes.

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Mike Blakesley
Film God

Posts: 12767
From: Forsyth, Montana
Registered: Jun 99

posted 01-11-2007 05:16 PM

Since we are a small theatre and don't offer many hours to employees, my strategy is to make sure they have a good time on the job so they want to work here. Therefore, I don't come down too hard on them for little infractions. But, I'm almost always nearby so there's little room for shenanigans. We have an employee manual that goes into explicit detail on how to do everything, right down to a step-by-step on how to clean the popcorn machine.

The results are that most of our employees stay with us until two or three days before they're due to leave for college; many call and offer to come back and help out during vacations and holidays, and we often get thank-you notes from graduating kids expressing appreciation for us allowing them to work for us. So we must be doing something right!

Our 2006-2007 crew. A great bunch of kids.

Nichole - Scott - Lynde - Kristi - Tim

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Scott D. Neff
Theatre Dork

Posts: 919
From: San Francisco, CA
Registered: Oct 1999

posted 01-12-2007 05:36 PM

Dominic, the key to running that theatre is to make it an enjoyable place to work. Because it is affluent, parents will pull their kids out of work at the last minute without any regard for their work schedule. Mom and Dad want Junior to go with them to the Cape for Aunt Muffy's birthday, then Mom and Dad are gonna get Junior. I had another employee whose parents wanted him to spend more time on school work, so instead of having him work less, they agreed to pay him $5 more an hour as an allowance than I could pay him to work.

In the end it's a fun location to run, a lot of SLooooWWwww days. A lot of cramped spaces. A lot of worry about whether or not you'll get a day off, but even if you don't get a day off, you're looking at working 4-5 hour days anyway. But the area is beautiful, and as long as you can create an environment that favors fun as well as getting the job done, the theatre will run itself.

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Phil Hill
I love my cootie bug

Posts: 7595
From: Hollywood, CA USA
Registered: Mar 2000

posted 01-12-2007 06:15 PM

Mike, what a GREAT pic! [beer]

In the past I've spent a lot of time looking at your theatre's website and that of Jack Ondracek's drive-in...great sites! [thumbsup]

You both have the right philosophy to be successful in a very difficult biz to privately own.

I was totally impressed at the scale of both of yous biz and realized your various personal skills required to pull it all off! You are both true PROs! Your companies are truly complex and entail a lot of thought and planning just like some big corporation.

I often wonder how yous do it all? I mean, dealing with financial and staff issues, equipment/food/beverage dealers, service techs, and with all the Permits, Licenses, food inspectors, building inspectors, labor boards, OSHA, etc... JFC it all makes my head spin!

For me, I like the tech end of the biz and I like people in general and sometimes think of buying a theatre and following in yous footsteps. But, then I come to my senses...I couldn't put up with the general public...for that I also give you both credit. [thumbsup]

I wish you both many more years of success. [beer]

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