Following are some random thoughts on the management life:

Matching - One of the most gratifying aspects of management is correctly matching people to positions or tasks. To attain this perfect union is no small achievement. In fact, matching requires a great deal of active thought. Pick up a copy of The Godfather to read a passage that provides a clear description of this process in action. It's the part where the capo, Clemenza, was trying to decide which button man should be given a chance at better things- in this case, to assist on a hit. The passage describes the intricate thought process Clemenza goes through to make the perfect match of task and worker. Finally, after he decides on the right person, "Clemenza felt the relief of a conscientious administrator who has solved a knotty personnel problem."

Stand for your employee's success. This seems obvious but I feel at times the insecurity of managers can knowingly or unknowingly sabotage this practice. For a manager, this means properly matching task and person, removing obstacles, providing thoughtful guidance and giving proper credit at all times. Placing your employees in a constant position to achieve success helps them, the company, and you. Stand for your employee's success. Always.

Keep your superior standards realistic. I used to cringe when a manager would say, Well, my employees have to walk on water to achieve a superior ranking. Come on! Try not to suffocate talent by being too lazy to perform the observation required to recognize it. Superior performance is all around us. Let's seek out ways to notice and reward it.

Maintain confidentiality. I once had an employee who thanked me because something she told me in confidence didn't get around the office. She thanked me! That was the easiest thank you I ever earned. I always thought a good rule was never to mention employee issues- even if the employee didn't request confidentiality. A good example of this is when an employee would tell me she was pregnant. I would always ask if it was public knowledge and if not, when it would be public knowledge. Even then, I never would say anything until someone else mentioned it to me.

This especially extends to personnel issues. For example, I know managers who would tell other employees that one of their peers was on a performance improvement plan! It's bad enough that's a serious confidentiality breech but it's also the beginning of the worst kind of cancer- the kind that kills morale.

Don't be afraid of upward delegation. You may have to do your job! Just learn to differentiate your job from hers. If an employee asks you to do something you feel she should do, suggest that's how you feel- it may be a stretch for her, it may not be her job but she needs to do it. However, if she comes to you with something that's your job- do it. For example, if she needs help in obstacle removing at your level- that's your job, not hers!

Always assume that all confidences will be broken. If you tell someone that you heard so and so is getting a new job and ask that someone not to repeat it, assume it will be repeated three times. The naiveté I've seen in managers who assume if they say something is in confidence it actually stays in confidence has always surprised me. The practice to consider here? Refrain from saying anything you're not comfortable with everyone knowing.

Always assume your emails will be seen by everyone. A great example of a manager not being mindful of this was Mike Brown, the head of FEMA. When the emails he wrote in the immediate aftermath of Katrina were released, their content made him look like an insensitive chowder head. He came across detached and frivolous in the midst of a crisis.

Management is a noble profession. Let's maintain and even elevate it through thoughtful blending of the management stew.