How to Manage People: Be Frank with Them

I’m serving as an intern at Temple University’s Office of Facilities Management (OFM) at the Health and Sciences Campus. I have been at OFM for two semesters. During my time at OFM, there has been a change in leadership. Frank was the head of Facilities for the majority of my time there, with his replacement being named only three weeks ago. As an account management student, I think that I learned a lot from how Frank handled situations and handled employees.

Frank always had a positive and friendly attitude whether he was talking to the head of the hospital or the woman who changed the trash bags in the office. He was honest with everyone and made them feel important and he was always open to any concerns they may have. Since Frank treated everyone so well, he was respected and almost never heard someone complain if he asked them to do something.

As an account manager, there will be times when I have to ask people to do things they do not want to do. However, if I establish a respectful relationship with everyone, they are less likely to express resentment since they feel like they can trust me. Building relationships with people who are not coworkers is also important because you never know who may be able to help you down the road. Frank showed me first hand some valuable lessons in treating people the right way, and gave me a blueprint for my future relationships with coworkers.