Seasoned leaders who’ve participated in Smart Development programs say all the time, “I’ve been managing the same people for some time now. I realize now that I’ve been too hands-off. Is it even possible to change my whole leadership approach after all this time? How can I get my employees to take me seriously? How can I avoid them thinking I’ve bought into some gimmicky ‘flavor of the month’?”
Let your employees think whatever they want in the beginning. You can live with anybody’s doubt but your own. Step one in convincing your employees will be your own belief in the change and your determination to stick with it. Over time, the doubts will recede and doubters will come along or else move along. That’s why you cannot afford to make a half-hearted effort. But it takes more than a full heart to succeed.
Many full-hearted efforts fail due to a lack of preparation. A well-meaning manager who decides to become a better leader can painfully underestimate the challenge of making a big change in management style, especially after a long period of under-management.
Seven Ways to Prepare Before You Reboot Your Leadership Approach
1. Prepare yourself psychologically. Are you ready, willing, and able to commit the time, energy, effort, and consistency that it will take to change? Your role at work is going to change. Your relationships at work are going to change. Your experience at work is going to change. You are going to be the person who is all about the work, who is setting people up for success every day, who is helping every person get what she needs. Make sure you are sure. Expunge your own doubt first.
2. Prepare yourself tactically. The biggest impact of committing to highly engaged leadership is that you are putting a big chuck (or a couple of medium-sized chunks) or highly structured time into your daily schedule. That is what makes the whole thing work. If that big chunk of structured time is something that is not currently part of your day, you are going to have to get into the habit. Start building the habit in advance: find the one hour a day that works best for you, and set it aside every day for two weeks before you actually plunge into managing employees in one-on-one sessions. During those weeks, use this one hour a day to continue with your preparations.
3. Prepare yourself by gathering some information about your employees. What are all the things you really should have known all along? What are some things you’ll need to keep in mind going forward? Gather information and start tuning in informally to your employees and their work. Spend less time shooting the breeze at work and start talking with your employees about the work. Start asking more questions. And do a lot of listening. You will get some surprises early on, no doubt. Some people will be put off that you are even asking. That’s a good sign that you’ve been too hands-off until now. Some people will give vague answers. Others will tell you more than you would have guessed. You will start to learn who is doing what, where, why, when, and how.
4. Start keeping a people list. This is a running list of all the key people with whom you need to be engaged in a one-on-one dialogue right now. For each of your direct reports, take note:
• When and where was your last conversation with that person? Regarding what?
• What should you be talking about with this person?
• When and where are going to have your next conversation?
• What do you need to do to prepare in advance?
5.Research possible tracking systems to monitor, measure, and document each employee’s performance. While your People List is a very good tool for remaining thoughtful and purposeful about your interactions with your direct reports, it is probably not a sufficient system for proper tracking of employee performance. Check with your HR department to request tracking systems used by other teams or departments. You just need to be able to track, for each direct report, the expectations you are spelling out and how their concrete actions are lining up with those expectations, every step of the way. The most important thing about your tracking system is that you come up with a system that you will actually use—a system that works for you, that you can stick to. The sooner you figure that out, the better.
6.Start working on a preliminary schedule for your regular one-on-ones. When you are going to meet with each person and for how long? If you’ve been using one hour a day to prepare for this change in your management practices, then you are well on your way to making that hour-a-day management a habit. Now you need to decide how you are going to divide that time among your employees.
7.Prepare your “Good news!” message. You need to be prepared to discuss the impending management change with key people, including your boss. You don’t want to act as if you’ve been failing as a manager until now. Instead, adopt a simple message: “Good news! I’ve very committed to becoming a better manager, stronger and more highly engaged. Here’s what that’s going to look like. I’m going to build a regular, ongoing, structured one-on-one dialogue with every person who reports to me.” Remember, you are delivering good news! You are about to be spending a lot more time setting people up for success and helping them avoid unnecessary problems. You are going to provide more guidance and direction and support, helping your employees do better, work smarter and faster, and set them up for the next opportunity. That is good news! Make sure you feel that so it guides your tone every step of the way.
Once you’ve thoroughly prepared, it’s time to go public! The first person you should talk with is your boss. Most bosses will be delighted to hear that you want to work hard to become a better manager and will be happy to help you in your efforts. If your boss is going to be an obstacle, it’s better to find out immediately. Spell out for your boss exactly what you are trying to accomplish. Ask your boss if she supports your efforts. Explain that you will need to her help and guidance.
You don’t need permission from your boss to be strong and highly engaged. But you definitely need your boss’s support to be optimally successful. And it will be ideal if you have your boss’s help when it comes to holding employees accountable, imposing negative consequences on low performers and helping high performers earn opportunities. Do everything you can to keep your boss in the loop and highly supportive every step of the way in your journey to become a better and stronger manager.
After all the preparation and all those advance discussions, it is time to announce to your team. “I’m going to be a better manager, and here’s what that is going to look like.” Get everybody together, and in the full light of public disclosure make a commitment to yourself and your team: “Good news! I am going to be a better leader. Here’s what it means.”
Be prepared for your employees to be concerned, to ask lots of questions, to second-guess you, and to doubt that you will follow through. It will take them a while to get used to it. A good way to end the team meeting is to schedule your initial one-on-one meeting with each person on the team.
Then, fully prepared, start doing your regular one-on-ones, one person at a time, one day at a time. In these, explain that you plan to revise and adjust your approach as you go forward. Let each person know that you understand this is a big change for them, too, and that you expect her to go through a learning process. Explain that you need their help in making the change work for both of you. Explain that you know you will get better and better at this new approach to your working relationship and so will she.
After you’ve talked about why you are making this big change, the most important thing to discuss is the parameters of the regular one-on-one dialogue you will have each person from now on:
- How often will you meet with this person?
- Exactly when and for how long?
- Where?
Check out three related posts that will help you elevate your impact as a leader in 2019.
How to Be A Better Leader in 9 Minutes
The Single Most Expensive Mistake A Leader Can Make
Three key Coaching Habits to Elevate Your Impact
To your greater success and fulfillment,
Peter Mclees, Leadership Coach, Trainer and Performance Consultant
SMART DEVELOPMENT
To your greater success and fulfillment,
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