I am a senior associate that is just starting to manage juniors. Unfortunately for me, the few partners I’ve worked for over the years were notorious for toxicity and driving turnover. I don’t want to manage others the way I was / am managed. However, I think I may be overcorrecting. While the junior associates are not as terrified of me as they are the partners (leading to more honest communication), I do think I am often taken advantage of. I seem to get sloppier work out of them than the partners do, which reflects poorly on me. I’ve had juniors suddenly take an extra hour to “clean up” documents when they think it’s going straight to the partner instead of me, for example. I simply don’t think fear should be the only motivator though.
Any tips from juniors as to what management styles make you feel more motivated? If you’re senior or have managed people, any tips for how to develop associates and encourage them to do their best as opposed to phoning it in?