November 28 2022 at 03:00AM
The Power of Building Leadership skills in others
Being a team lead, a manager, or a department head, all require similar qualities. These Leaders share the ultimate job: to help make their teams successful, which, in turn, makes the work done by the team successful. As part of their job, Leaders may have obvious things to do, such as:
- Planning and managing the execution of the team's tasks
- Oversight and tracking of work goals and outcomes
- Ensuring the team members have what they need to complete their tasks
- Dealing with issue escalations
- Managing stakeholder expectations and requirements
This may be some of what Managers do, but other things make them, or their teams, successful. A key role of every Leader is to coach and encourage the next generation of leadership.
How to Build Management Skills
Let's look at how Leaders and New Managers can work together to learn and adopt these new behaviors and skills.
In working with New Managers, Leaders need to focus on their own coaching skills and awareness of what makes a Leader successful. Remember, one size does not fit all. So don't try to give New Managers a cookie-cutter approach to how you work; rather, give them the tools and support they need to build their own natural ways of working.
What are 3 things Leaders can do to make new Managers ready for their role?
- Invest in Training
Leadership requires many skills and a high level of EQ. These skills require training, role-playing, and coaching. Formal training programs for new Managers can help them build these skills. See this video for more on the concepts new Mangers need to master.
- Onboard the new Manager
Ensure you onboard the Manager properly, even if they have been part of the team for some time. Onboarding is for new team members but also staff in new roles. New Managers need to know their role, expectations, and the processes and procedures associated with their new job.
Onboarding is important for every member of your team.
Create a moment for a team announcement of the new Manager. Share your confidence in their ability to do the job and positively impact the team. This is especially important if the new Manager is also new to the team. Celebrate the start and share the journey the new Manager is on. See more on my onboarding guide here.
- Check-in with the new Manager
Leaders can assess if Mentoring or Coaching is the right approach.
It is not enough to coach someone until they are ready for a promotion. Coaching should continue to allow the new Manager to address issues and build their confidence. Be sure to check in with the team as well. An occasional, informal walk-around can help you know if the new Manager is struggling or has landed in the role well. There may be times you will need to coach, and other times you need to mentor. See this video to know how each of these options can help you be more effective at helping the New Manager succeed.
“Leadership and learning are indispensable to each other.”
— John F. Kennedy
Are you a new Manager and want tips on how to benefit from leadership mentoring? Learn 5 tips for New Managers on this link.
If you want templates for onboarding or mentoring, click here and search for the topic you are interested in. Over 25 free downloadable templates are available to help managers build their skills and ways of working.
