Managing is daunting, and lonely

Whether you directly supervise a group of employees or serve as team lead/project manager, aligning and enabling a group of people to deliver results can be daunting, tiring, and at times darn lonely.  Or darn frustrating.  Your employees assume you know the answers to a myriad of questions, from the company’s decision-making rationale on annual increases to solving a key technical issue on their project to resolving a conflict between two departments.  Your peers and your manager want a piece of you too.  You’re often pulled in many and at times conflicting directions.

The reason you probably got promoted

Let’s take a step back.  You were probably made a manager because you rocked as an individual contributor (“non-manager”).  You delivered on commitments with quality. You were a self-starter who learned quickly.  You were great to work with.  So, the powers-that-be decided you’re ready to lead a team.  There are other reasons people get asked to be a manager – the current manager resigns abruptly and Boom! You’re in the acting role, potentially for months.  

The mindset shift

Regardless of the reason, even if you are well-suited to manage from a technical perspective (i.e. you know the actual work inside and out), a first-time manager is missing a huge skillset - the ability to enable work through others, the ability to align a group around shared goals and support each of them in contributing results.  And in 99% of all organizations, you are left to figure that one out on your own.  

And what made you successful as an individual contributor is NOT going to help you succeed as a manager of people.  A fundamental mindset shift is required.  Your job now is NOT to ensure you succeed as an individual.  Your job is to enable your employees or team-members to succeed – to ensure all of you succeed as a unit.  For more on the mindset shift, check out Ram Charan’s book The Leadership Pipeline.  His concepts are spot on and practical.

Sigh

I’ve met many managers over the years who flailed at first in this new role.  They may have put on a good face but inside they knew they were flying blind.  Plus, they were hesitant to share this with anyone at work, worried it might be interpreted as weakness.  Cue the loneliness of being a manager.  I’ve seen this scenario for decades and I sigh every time – it is so utterly unnecessary.  A core set of straightforward foundational skills will save scads of wasted time, frustrated employees, and overwhelmed managers.

The cure to manager loneliness – step 1 

Recognize that every manager of people, whether they are a newbie or a long-term veteran, feels that the manager role is difficult at times.  Find trusted colleagues at work or elsewhere with whom you can share your challenges and toss around ideas.  Find a mentor if you can – someone who’s been “around the management block.”  Set up a coffee every month or quarter.  It’s amazing what ideas, learnings and solutions emerge.  Plus, it’s helpful to realize we all have similar questions and dilemmas.  I’ve delivered scores of management trainings, and participants always share this point as a key take-away – It’s nice to know I’m not alone.

Cheers to you

The next blog has more ideas on this topic as well. Cheers to all of us out there trying to get the best out of ourselves, our employees and out team-mates.  And if you want a free consultation to chat through a specific situation, don’t hesitate to reach out.  Onward!