Julia Rowan answers your management, leadership, and team development questions
I manage a team of six people and rely on two of them a lot. They are quick, thorough, and committed. It would be difficult for me if either of them left the organisation. How can I hold on to them?
When I read this, my mind went, not to ‘how do you keep your two high performers?’ but to ‘what is it like for the other four?’ It is so easy to rely too much on ‘good’ people, and unconsciously ignore others, but this can lead to a pattern of leadership neglect that disengages the team members getting less attention.
I have two strands of advice here. For your high performers, think about how you can help them to build their skills, and consult with them about the work they are doing. Include them in decision-making, give them more responsibility, and coach them.
Be proactive about rewarding them for the work they do – not just financially, but in terms of their visibility and professional development.
For the other four, practice ‘conscious inclusion’. Reflect on the skills and attitudes you want these team members to develop and build a strategy around that.
Take time on Friday afternoons to plan the following week’s activity and think about how you can best work with this group — individually or in pairs, for example — so that you can help them to develop their skills and commitment.
Demonstrate that you value them by spending time with them. Remember that conversation both reflects and shapes the relationships we have with people, so be very thoughtful about your conversations. It is worth exploring the concept of ‘Situational Leadership’ — see this issue’s book recommendation.
I was recently promoted to manage the team I had been a part of. Two of my colleagues also applied for the role. One is supportive, but the other — whom I used to get on well with — barely acknowledges me. She does her work, but never speaks at team meetings. She is the longest serving member of the team. What can I do?
Learning to manage a team you used to be on is one of the hardest challenges a professional can face – especially when it is your first management role.
Becoming the boss does lead to a change in relationships. You need to move from ‘friend’ to ‘friendly’.
It is particularly important here that you have support from other people in your organisation (your boss, HR, and other colleagues). How you manage the situation really comes down to choices, however unconscious, about behaviour.
It sounds like your non-supportive report feels upset and humiliated and she may need a little time to lick her wounds. Your behaviour choice needs to be to deal with her in a friendly, fair, and professional manner.
If, after two months, your report has not changed her behaviour, you need to talk to her – and bear in mind that you may be entering risky territory. You need to share what you are noticing and ask for what you want instead.
The danger is that, in return, you may get passive-aggressive ‘politeness’ and letter-of-the-law-compliance. If this does happen, you may need to link in with HR for more support.
If you read one thing…
Leadership and the One Minute Manager by Ken Blanchard, Patricia Zigami and Drea Zigami, is about Situational Leadership.
This is the theory that the leadership we offer depends on the situation (the employee’s level of responsibility, the complexity of the task at hand, etc). Situational Leadership offers managers a framework, which allows them to be very conscious about the management style they adopt and the conversation they have (directing, coaching, or empowering, for example).
The book is written in ‘fable’ style, making it an easy read.