By Evans Tu (President & CEO, SYNNEX Group)

None of us likes being managed by others. Nonetheless in the process of growing up, most of us have probably had much experience in being managed. When a child is able to manage themselves well, parents and teachers tend to be less controlling. However, if a child is unable to motivate and push themselves to perform in school, parents and teachers have no choice but to keep a close watch over them. Being managed by others is clearly something that is self-induced.

There are two main purposes of people management in the company. First, it enables managers to ensure that their departments are operating smoothly and performing well. By listening to their subordinate's performance reports and interviewing them, managers can learn how their department is performing and identify areas that are needing improvement. Responsible managers tend to be more attentive to a specific department when they identify more areas of improvement.

People management also enables managers to ensure that their subordinates are equipped with the relevant skills and knowledge to succeed. No employee is perfect, every one of us possesses flaws. When a manager learns about their subordinate’s weakness, they should not only lead and guide them through their weak points but also constantly check on their performance and progress. As a result, we often find managers devoting extra effort on guiding subordinates that exhibit more weaknesses.

The more attentive a manager is to you, the more time they must spend on you. Managers supervise to either ensure that their departments are doing well, or their subordinates are equipped with what they need to reach their full potential. We should not mistake their good intentions as malicious acts and think they are supervising just for the sake of doing so.

Managing and guiding people takes time and effort. Selfish managers who do not plan to stay long with the company will never dedicate the effort to lead and guide their subordinates; only responsible and dedicated managers will do so.

Individuals who would like to be managed less should first ensure they are capable of managing themselves well. If they are incapable of doing so, and frequently commit mistakes in their work, it is inevitable that their managers and other departments are forced to supervise and manage them. It is important that these individuals should first reflect on themselves!

The cost of hiring managers is high, however when managers put their capabilities to good use they often bring great value to the company. Individuals who frequently rely on the help of managers to manage themselves are not only a liability to the company, they bring no value at all.