I've been travelling recently and discovered that similar challenges and issues seem to arise for leaders wherever they are. It's always about the people.
I recommend ITP (Invest Time with your People). That will bring you a big ROI, and the opportunity for them to be more Passionate, Productive, and raise their Performance, and of course the bottom line!
This article may not just be about you - it may be about one of your managers.
Being New in a Role
“I’m still learning to be a leader”. Hendra*, the young manager who said this, had spent an hour talking with me, over a delicious Malay lunch, about inheriting a team which he soon found was dysfunctional. Sound familiar? He had taken up the Project Manager position for the roll out of new software for his company, and before he could start he realised there were some important changes that had to be made.
He spent a lot of time meeting with his team members one on one. Hendra quickly recognised that one in particular was not going to be able to continue with his job. Ivan* didn’t have the competence and as a result always had excuses. The challenge was that Ivan was a very close personal friend. What a dilemma!
Hendra was mature beyond his age. He knew what had to be done and handled the situation in a compassionate manner. After all the previous manager had let Ivan (a poor performer) continue for over a year without talking with him, without providing any mentoring or coaching and the result was the other team members had become frustrated.
Your Responsibility
How often does this happen?
Too many times, and it is a weakness in managers not just in New Zealand.
Hendra, originally from Indonesia, lives and works in Singapore for a large multinational company. Whatever the local laws are, it is the responsibility of the manager of a team to also be a leader. That is the challenging part of the leader’s role:
• To bring together a high performance team and
• To provide them with the right coaching and development opportunities.
Ivan had failed because of his previous manager’s neglect.
Asking the right questions
Back in New Zealand last week I was presenting a break-out session at a conference to a group of “emerging leaders” who were eager to learn about becoming a leader. Two of them already had large teams.
Brian* asked me how he could get his team to perform better. All I asked him was: “How often do you have one-on-one sessions with your team?” His response was “Hardly ever. I know I need to meet with them more often”. He had answered his own question. I let him know that he knew what he needed to do.
There is always the excuse that there is not enough time. Years ago in a workshop some senior managers said; “Time is precious. We don’t have time to meet our people”. My response to that was; "Your people too are precious".
Making time should be a priority. You owe it to your team. And even if it is a team of volunteers it is just as important. Leaders need to get to know their people very well. They need to ask the right questions and understand how they tick. It is also very important to REALLY listen to them and challenge those people appropriately if they are not performing. Then put the right training and coaching sessions in place.
The Never-ending Journey
Whether you have been a manager and leading teams for years, or are newer to this important role, remember that people do not like to be managed. Do you? Managing often implies command and control. It doesn’t work today and you won’t get the best out of younger employees. They want a leader who inspires them to grow, who listens to them, and challenges their thinking when they are stuck. Keep the word ‘manage’ to the projects, tasks, details and reserve the leading for the human element.
After lunch with Hendra, I let him know that he was already a leader, and that he was on the journey of becoming an outstanding leader. He clearly listens to his people and has humility. He will go a long way and I let him know that. Remember to acknowledge people for their progress however small it may be. It might even inspire them to do greater things!
*All names changed for confidentiality