Managing to Lead

Since I entered the workforce a decade and a half ago, I've had many different managers with distinct approaches to leading. I've learned a great deal from them about what techniques have been helpful and which ones less so.

My company recently entrusted me with the responsibility of a people management role. In preparation for the change, I thought back over the years to decide what kind of manager I would like to be. Here are my thoughts on the four responsibilities a manager should fulfill.

Going for a Drive

Let's imagine that managing is like going on a road trip together with the people who report to you. What steps can you take to make the journey a successful one together? How do you deal with obstacles that arise, and learn from the trip so far?

Grease the Wheels

One of the most straightforward aspects to managing is to make sure that the people reporting to you can get their work done day to day. Ensure that they have the right tools and equipment, and that the work environment provided by the company suits the employees' needs. Connect your direct reports with the right people to help get the job done.

In addition, share knowledge of process and procedure. Make sure your reports are aware of corporate updates. Proactively look for and remove roadblocks before they become a problem for daily work.

Plan the Journey

Plan for the future with those who report to you. Make sure you ask them what they want to be doing one, five, or ten years in the future. Listen to what they enjoy doing and find fulfilling, perhaps asking them to keep a journal of those moments they find excitement at work.

Share and discuss the company's future, as well, and what changes or opportunities are coming. Let your excitement for the possibilities help shape this conversation and instill value in the direction you're going.

Once you know about the future your team hopes for and have shared where the organization is going, you can start to look for ways to help everyone get there. Are there courses, training materials, or other learning opportunities that will help along the way? Are there projects to help your reports try out new skills and technologies, learn about unfamiliar parts of the product, or connect with other people outside the immediate team?

Handling Detours

Unfortunately, sometimes along the journey you'll encounter trouble. When things start to break down or the path becomes difficult, the role of a manager is to provide direction.

This may involve dealing with conflicts. A problem may arise between two people or between someone who reports to you and the company's expectations.

In these moments, the best thing you can do is to listen first. Don't start to act before taking the time to understand. Once you've heard the situation, then you can ask clarifying questions, eventually trying to determine the desired outcome.

Only at this point does it make sense to plan your route around the detour together.

Detours may also involve external factors that force you and your team to readjust your path or even destination. Again, working out with the group how to get to the new target is more important than simply dictating the road to take and expecting to be followed.

Check Your Mirrors

Last and, frankly, least is to do performance reviews and goal setting.

If the other three have been done well, performance reviews are mostly a rehashing of how work progressed as well as any analysis of detours handled. Of course, work above and beyond what was expected should be factored in, too.

Goal setting can be a restatement of the journey you've planned together, combined with ideas about how to avoid the detours in the future.

In short, there should be no surprises here. Rather, it's a retelling of the story of the past year and the hopes for the year to come.

Next steps

No one plan will work for any particular manager, team, or individual. Make adjustments as needed, and be prepared to reassess your strategy as you go. Good luck, and happy leading!

What do you think? Are there any other key aspects to managing you would like to add?

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