According to many of our managers, management – as well as being about more overall questions – is about dealing with the constant stream of everyday demands and expectations. While the daily work varies considerably, it involves, among other things, managing relations with subordinates. This means listening, having an open dialogue with and being accessible for co-workers in order to support them in their efforts. In particular, the managers stress the importance of recognizing and acknowledging their co-workers, as well as creating a pleasant atmosphere. For many managers, this is a question of how they understand themselves in terms of morals. The managers describe themselves as open and honest and as people who are not afraid to tackle sensitive or difficult questions. They also stress that it is important to defend and promote the interests of their subordinates vis-à-vis the senior managers in the organization who all too often insist on getting involved in every little detail and do not understand the complexities of the work practices and natural demands for autonomy. The middle managers feel that they have an important role to play here in defending and protecting their co-workers’ demands for independence. They themselves say that they are good at letting things be and describe themselves as fair and as having a feeling for the real nature of the business. This approach to managerial work is described as being morally superior and is based on how the managers see themselves. In many cases, it is confirmed by co-workers, which contributes to sustaining and reinforcing the managerial identity.

We begin the chapter with a discussion of the manager as coach and continue with the importance of listening to and recognizing co-workers. We then discuss the manager as an authentic understander of human nature and people's friend and follow up with a longer discussion of the manager as a paragon of virtue and moral example.

MANAGEMENT AS COACHING

Many managers say they want to be a coach for their co-workers. Unlike an American sports trainer, who actively instructs and pushes, coaching in the managerial world commonly refers to some form of supporting leadership.