Picture this: you’re part of a team trying to get stuff done. Maybe it’s deploy a feature, solving a thorny bug, or just making it to Friday without a full-blown existential crisis. And then (kaboom!) here come the meetings, the shifting priorities, the last-minute “can-you-just” requests.

How your team survives this chaos depends a lot on what kind of manager you’ve got. Umbrella Manager or Funnel Manager?.

TL;DR

  • Umbrella Managers: Shield the team from chaos so they can focus.
  • Funnel Managers: Pass everything straight through, creating panic and burnout.
  • The world needs fewer funnels, more umbrellas. Preferably extra large.

The Umbrella Manager: the unsung shield

Ah, the Umbrella Manager. Protector of peace. Deflector of distractions. They stand tall (probably also tired) holding a metaphorical umbrella over their team while chaos rains down around them.

Meetings? They go so you don’t have to. Random “urgent” requests from four other departments? They gently say “no” (or at least “not now”). New deadline from someone who thinks time is elastic? Blocked. Shielded. Evaporated.

Under the umbrella, the team thrives. Focused, calm, maybe even sipping coffee that hasn’t gone cold. They say things like “Let’s get it done!” and actually have the space to do it.

The Umbrella Manager isn’t a miracle worker, but they are a buffer. And in a world of constant interruptions, that makes them heroic.

The Funnel Manager: the human firehose

Now meet the Funnel Manager. A slightly more chaotic energy.

This type of manager doesn’t block the storm, they channel it. Straight onto the team.

New requests? Toss ‘em in the funnel. Back-to-back meetings? Funnel ‘em down. Unrealistic deadlines? Yep, straight through the chute.

They mean well, truly. They’re just trying to make sure everything gets through. Unfortunately, that “everything” ends up smashing into the team like a tidal wave of productivity doom.

You’ll spot a Funnel team by the thousand-yard stares, the “HELP!” post-its, and the developers curled up under their desks whispering to their rubber ducks.

If you’re a manager reading this and you’re suddenly self-conscious about your funnel-like tendencies, don’t panic. The good news is: awareness is the first step. The even better news? You can swap the funnel for an umbrella.

Being an Umbrella Manager doesn’t mean isolating your team from reality. It means managing that reality: prioritizing, buffering, and giving your people the space they need to do good work without daily whiplash.

And if you’re a team member reading this? Send your Umbrella Manager a thank you. Or gently slide this post into your Funnel Manager’s inbox with a wink.