The coach’s corner -- October 2023

Julia Rowan answers your management, leadership and team development questions

I work in HR and recently helped a partner recruit a manager to lead a team of six people. The team had been without a manager for about a year and there are issues which need tackling. We wrote a very specific job description which highlighted the people management aspect of the role and focused on this a lot at the interview. The new manager has not stepped up to the people management aspect of the role; they say that they don’t have the time as there is too much work. The partner has asked me to intervene – but the new manager is very defensive. 

Managing people is wonderful. It is also tough, and it can be much easier for managers at all levels to focus on the work than on the people. 

In many organisations, there is a lot of aspirational talk about people/culture that does not translate into the lived experience of employees. So, sometimes people ‘talk the talk’ to get a role and then step back when faced with a challenge..

I love that you paid so much attention to the job description and interview – you laid a solid foundation for future conversations. 

When the new manager came on board, did the partner sit down with them and draw a red thread between the interview and the role, explaining why they were given the role? This type of conversation builds on the foundation and provides real clarity about desired behaviours. It is not too late to do this, and probably very important that it happens.

The partner has asked you to intervene – is this due to lack of time, misperception of HR’s role or avoidance of the issue? Certainly, you can help, but this is a great opportunity for the partner to role model how to step into leadership and deal with a tough issue. 

I think your first call is to explore how the partner is supporting their new manager. Do they have regular one-on-one meetings? If so, are they all ‘business’, or are they talking about the people issues too? If the partner cannot offer support, at the very least they need to let the new manager know that you are acting on their behalf and they need to stay involved.

You and/or the partner may need to have a few meetings with the new manager to explore what is happening, build trust around the issue and ensure that they are bought in. 

You will need to ‘listen like crazy’ without explaining or advising so that you can get to the heart of the matter. 

Ask them what support they need to tackle the situation. Make sure they are connected to other people managers across the organisation who may be able to support them.

Let us not forget that there are legacy issues at play here, and perhaps the ‘ask’ of the new manager is too big. A well-run team session could help the team to disentangle issues and move on. But these issues can run deep, and professional help may be needed.

Julia Rowan is Principal Consultant at Performance Matters Ltd, a leadership and team development consultancy. To send a question to Julia, email julia@performancematters.ie