Are you a manager that helps or hinders?

Since I started my career, I’ve had 15 managers. Some have been great and some have been more challenging. My experiences make me very aware of the impact of a manager on your happiness and your career, and it’s something I’m very conscious of in managing my own team. We often look at ‘management’ as a job, but I believe it is more of a responsibility. The impact of a good or bad manager can be transformative in a positive or a very negative way.

I firmly believe that people managers have 2 responsibilities:

1. to co-ordinate the actions of a team, around a common goal that supports an organisation’s strategy and objectives

2. to help individuals fulfil their potential

All too often, managers focus on tasks/deadlines/deliverables over and above helping team members be their best. However, happy and productive teams are achieved by addressing both.

If you are a manager who wants to help individuals in your team to fulfil their potential, there are a few simple things you can make time for:

1) Understanding their strengths and how they can apply them most at work.

At it’s simplest level, this is just a conversation. Direct your team to complete a strengths assessment as a starting point for the conversation (this VIA survey is a good free one), have a conversation about the outcomes (ask “do you agree with the identified strengths?” and “what else do you think you’re good at?”)and generate 1 idea about how they can use their strengths more in the next 3 months. Then review. There are much deeper ways of getting into strengths-based management, but this is a good starting point.

2) Exploring Opportunities.

Don’t assume that people are going to stay in your team forever. Start with the assumption that your team members are going to grow, develop and move onto new things, and then help them to do it! A good manager helps their team to perform in role and progress out of it too. This is healthy for them, your relationship and the team dynamic. Most people don’t know what they want to do, so help your team members explore opportunities. Ask them “what areas are you interested in moving into in the next 2-3 years?” and “what more would you like to know about them?”. Then speak to your peers and your network to see how you can help your team fill those knowledge gaps. With my team members, this results in me finding them mentors, getting courses for them, agreeing some time in other departments and attending conferences.

3) Role modelling learning behaviours.

Instead of projecting yourself as an ‘expert’, project yourself as a ‘work-in-progress’. In reality, we can and should all be learning new things and continuing to develop. Your team need to see that you take the time, over and above delivering your day-to-day job requirements, to develop yourself. Tell them about your strengths and how apply them at work, share your career to date and the opportunities you are exploring for your future, share books and websites you read to stay informed. This behaviour starts to create a learning culture within your team.

You have a choice about the impact you make on others. I really encourage you to think about this impact, where you focus your time and ensure you’re the sort of manager who helps people to have a happy career and doesn’t hinder them.

Helen