3-minute read with templates
It might be a stretch to call Bob the happiest middle manager on earth, but paying homage to Walt Disney is always fun. If you’re a manager, you’re probably curious about how Bob achieved his happiness.
Bob and I have been working together for about six months. He came to me because his team wasn’t unified and had difficulty communicating and meeting his expectations. He was frustrated that he didn’t have the knowledge, experience, or training to change the dynamic.
Over the past six months, we’ve changed aspects of his management style. The result is that his team is happier, and their productivity has improved. Is there still stress and some frustration? Yes, but overall, Bob is more confident, can see positive progress, and is excited about going to work.
With spring and a sense of renewal in the air, May seemed the right time to share some of what Bob implemented with his team. If your team’s communication and productivity could use a boost, feel free to incorporate the ideas that resonate with you.
We began by reframing the middle manager role as one of vision realization, providing the crucial connectivity between CEO vision and line staff execution.
Embracing vision realization as his primary responsibility allowed Bob to concentrate on outcomes rather than tasks.
When he connected his team’s individual strengths to the outcome of a better client experience, Bob could think differently about project assignments and collaborations.
These connections supported the formation of new inter-team and inter-departmental working groups.
We used the Covey matrix as a tool to make decisions, prioritize workflow, and connect projects with people.
One of the most challenging parts of managing for Bob was delegating the tasks that he liked doing but should be delegating.
So he wouldn’t fall back into his comfort zone of performing tasks better delegated to his team, we reorganized his to-do list around three questions:
“What is the purpose of the task?”
“Who on my team can do this and deliver at least 80%?”
“Who on my team should do this so they can grow?”
A direct connection between a task and an individual growth plan made it much easier for him to give up his favorite projects.
To better support his team, we had many conversations about how Bob could incorporate a servant leadership mindset into the four areas of successful leadership behaviors outlined in Ramesh Srinivasan’s seminal McKinsey Quarterly article, Decoding Leadership: What Really Matters.
Srinivasan’s extensive surveying and research concluded that these four behaviors were the most effective for driving performance.
This makes sense as these behaviors directly relate to managing down, up, and across. Actively connecting how he managed in the moment back to these four areas was his reminder to communicate the connection between tasks and CEO vision and helped elevate ideation and collaboration within his team.
Effective problem-solving
Results Orientation
Seeking different perspectives
Supporting others
Within the four areas, we examined his leadership style, the areas where he was not managing enough, and the team dynamics. Then, we implemented activities and communication practices to support the four areas.
If you’ve read this far, you are no doubt waiting for the punchline—what did he do, and how did he do it?
In the interest of brevity, I’ve attached some of Bob’s topline learnings and activities within the four leadership areas.
If your management style could use a refresh, you can use the chart as a template for mapping your path. There is a ‘Timeline and Frequency’ column for holding yourself and others accountable.
If you like this tool, let me know. If you don’t, I’d like to know that, too.
New Book!
If you know or have a young person starting out in their career, or if you hire them, this book is for you.
Make Your Internship Count:
Find, Launch, and Embrace Your Career