Context
I want to hang this tweet on my office wall. If you’re leading other leaders, don’t make assumptions. If you’re missing some context or the “why” behind a decision, just ask.
Maybe, just maybe, what you’re asking that Manager to do isn’t in the best interest of their team and you can’t see it.
Managers have the unenviable task of having one foot in the world of upper management and the other with their direct reports. It’s a fine line and one that isn’t easy to straddle. I’ve been lucky enough to move up from entry-level positions to Lead, to Manager, and eventually Director level roles. I didn’t understand just how much my past leaders and mentors were shielding me from until I was in those roles myself.
From my experience, here are the three main things you can do as a leader to better support your team and the team leaders who report to you.
From my experience here are the three main things you can do as a leader to better support your team and the team leaders that report in to you.
Be the Buffer
Once you start getting promoted two things happen:
The skills you were originally hired for become less and less important every time you move up the leadership ladder.
You get to see how the sausage is made.
The first is difficult because the skills that were needed in your old role are no longer as important. The day-to-day technical skills are used by those who report to you. You do need an understanding of those skills but your leadership and people skills become more important the more senior your position.
The second can be illuminating and sometimes demoralizing. When you’re young a little more naive there’s an idea that those in charge are smarter and more capable than those on the front lines. That’s not necessarily true.
So then what does it mean to “be the buffer”? It means that you shield your team from a lot of bureaucratic bullshit you now have to deal with daily. How do you decide what to share with your team and what to hold back? Here’s the filter I use:
Will this information benefit those who report to me in any way?
Navigate Bureaucracy
Navigate the bureaucracy of corporate policies, procedures, and red tape on behalf of your team. Streamline processes where possible to prevent unnecessary obstacles that hinder productivity. This can make or break a team.
I had an experience years ago where the company I was working for was purchased by a larger one. Eventually, our team was absorbed and we were part of a much larger department. This resulted in more processes, more red tape, and more managers that I had to report to. It often felt like the left hand didn’t know what the right was doing. I ended up leaving as soon as I could. I no longer felt as though I had the creative freedom I valued with the previous company.
Advocate for Recognition
Ensure that your team's accomplishments and efforts are acknowledged by upper management. Champion their successes, share positive feedback, and showcase how their contributions are driving the organization forward.
Most of us have been a part of the yearly review process. As a leader, you need to make sure you’re equipped to back up the claims you’re making about individuals on your team. A few suggestions.
Document everything
By the time yearly performance evaluations come around, managers may have already forgotten the material they were going to address with employees. This causes them to base most of their recommendations on recollection of prior events from memory. You need to be able to back up the rating you’re providing.
Understand how your company review policy works
Every company uses yearly assessments a little differently. Some have bonuses attached to higher ratings or higher raise percentages. Some have quotas instituted by HR concerning the percentage of employees that can be rated “exceeds” or higher. Seriously this was the case with my last employer.
You might notice the three things I listed are very people-centric. That’s no accident, it’s how I choose to lead. Understand that it may not be what your company is looking for in a Manager, Director, or VP. If you want to be a “people first” leader you need to find an organization that aligns with your values.