Today we are going to zoom in on Section 3: Master your Professional Career.
Topic #2 in this section: MANAGE YOUR TEAM EFFECTIVELY.
Countless books have been written on management and leadership. There is not a space without a blog or a reference to this topic on social media.
What to do with all this content? Who should you follow? Which practice/framework should you leverage?
In the following section, I will help you get the very best out of management best practices.
I/ Management has to be a calling
I remember attending a management training almost a decade ago, where a kickoff was facilitated by an inspiring Senior Executive in the company I use to work at.
And after almost ten years, his words still echo in my mind. We all sat in a room, waiting for him to start the session: "If you're here just because of a promotion or a career move, you're in the wrong place. So I will give each one of you 3 minutes to think about it. Do you really want to become a Manager? Do you really want to do it for the right cause? If not, you still have the time to leave the room. In 3 minutes, it will be too late."
That says it all: Managing people has to be a calling. It is a hard job. You will put people first. The recognition will go to your direct reports. They won't always see what you are doing for them. Gratitude is rare. And on top of that, you will have to show up every day for your team, even if you are not at your best.
II/ Be of service
Now that you are sure you are at the right place, it is important to have the right mindset, which is to be of service. You are at the service of your team, not the other way around.
The more you will understand how each direct report works, think, executes and performs, the more you help them and have a positive impact.
How to do that?
It goes without saying that active listening is key. I would even push it one step further by talking about mindful listening. Being totally present and all focus shifted to the individual you are managing.
On top of mindful listening, the same way you take the time to understand your customer needs and objectives, spend time understanding your direct reports motivations, long term goals and aspirations.
For example, some individuals want to move the ladder super fast, some just want to deliver what is expected of them, some are driven by money for personal reasons while others fancy the intellectual part of their job. Based on what you will uncover, your management style will not be the same. It is as if you have as many manager hats as the number of direct reports. Kim Scott in Radical Candor refers to this concept at the beginning of her book. She even distinguishes "rockstars" from "superstars".
III/ Set the perimeter
It is important to be of service. But be careful not to be too extreme. I have seen many managers getting completely consumed and ending up overwhelmed. They end up by being a "servant leader", leadership concept defined by Robert Greenleaf in 1970 in the essay The Servant as Leader.
To avoid falling into this trap, it is critical to set boundaries with clear rules. One of the best advice I could share is to set them from day 1, write them down and make sure the team approves of them.
For example, one of these principle you can define is "Being punctual". And next to the principle you write down, develop by adding "If you happen to be late to a meeting, just take the time to inform the attendees".
Another way to set the right perimeter is to practice what Ken Blanchard calls a "One minute redirect" in the book One Minute Manager. The one minute redirect concept is a way to give immediate, practical and constructive feedback to your direct report. These quick redirect conversations will compound over time.
IV/ Master the fundamentals
Now that you have the right mindset (being of service) and you set the perimeter, there are 4 fundamentals you should never put aside:
Goals: what are the team goals? How are they measured? Are they clear enough? Does the team understand them and know how to achieve them?
Hire: this is probably one of the toughest tasks for a manager. Hiring the right people at the right place and at the right time.
Learning & Development: the environment we work in is constantly changing. It will be a massive mistake not to prioritize time and ressources for developing your team.
Execution: Make sure you set the right processes, rituals and work routines.
Do you want to deep dive into this topic?
Do you want to leverage The Slim Method?
Reply to this email and I will be happy to help you :)
