If you are in a supervisory position- managing or leading others- you might be thinking to yourself:
Am I doing a good job?
How can I best support my team?
First, there isn't one RIGHT way to be a manager. There are practices (read: actions) that can help you be a better manager. Though, it's also a combination of knowing yourself, your strengths, and being authentic to who you are.
For this piece, I specifically want to share with you an easy acronym to help you practice your leadership: actions that can help you grow to become a better supervisor or manager.
L.E.A.D
Listen
It sounds simple- but, it really isn't! Listening is a skill that we think is obvious or easy. If it was there would less conflict, hurt, and pain in this world.
Listening is is a critical skill that takes practice and a deep level of ownership. With listening, you have to be REALLY honest with yourself:
- Am I ready to listen?
- Am I ready to give 100 percent of my attention?
- Am I really present?
- Can I listen with an open mind, without bias, judgement, and alternative motive?
Strategies to help you become a better listener
- Take a deep breath before engaging in the conversation | ground yourself
- Hear to listen, not to respond
- Many people focus so much on how to respond to what someone is sharing rather than really being present with them. This doesn't work- you will put pressure on yourself to "respond correctly" and focus on yourself, rather than focus on the person who matters: the person sharing right in front of you.
- Be honest if you are NOT ready to listen
- Boundaries are important! If you are not emotionally available, busy, or distracted, it's better to let that person know.
- Ex: "I want to listen to your idea, but right now I need to finish this email. Can I come by your office when I'm done? That way my attention can be just on what you'd like to share" This shows respect to what YOU need and respects their energy and time as well.
- After listening to someone share, check for understanding:
- "What I'm hearing you say is you're feeling frustrated that your project got skipped over on the agenda. It made you feel under valued. Is that right?"
- This shows that you are listening.
- Helps clarify anything you may have missed.
- Invites them to share more of their perspective and to reflect with you
Listening to someone and being present with them takes practice. You can begin this intentionality in any or all conversations. It's ok to let someone know that you're practicing and allow them to be a learning partner with you.
Listening is a skill that everyone should practice- regardless if you are a manager or not. This helps in all areas of life!
Listening is a skill that everyone should practice- regardless if you are a manager or not. This helps in all areas of life!
Empathy
Many of us have heard the lovely and brilliant Dr. Brené Brown speak on empathy. Empathy is the ability to deeply connect with someone else's emotions, feelings, or perspective.
It is to meet them where they are at in their moment of sharing. Sit with them. Hold space for them. You are going to need your listening skills to really embrace empathy.
Empathy is significant because it's an act of giving and receiving- it's a sharing of vulnerability, courage, and bravery.
Connecting emotionally with others is a natural part of relationships. If you are not emotionally connecting with others, especially with your team, you will have a very difficult time practicing leadership.
Example: If there is an update coming from the leadership team above you that significantly impacts one of your direct reports, you should individually talk to that direct report about the news before publicly announcing it. This demonstrates that you care about them and can understand the emotional impact that update may have on them.
It is to meet them where they are at in their moment of sharing. Sit with them. Hold space for them. You are going to need your listening skills to really embrace empathy.
Empathy is significant because it's an act of giving and receiving- it's a sharing of vulnerability, courage, and bravery.
Connecting emotionally with others is a natural part of relationships. If you are not emotionally connecting with others, especially with your team, you will have a very difficult time practicing leadership.
Example: If there is an update coming from the leadership team above you that significantly impacts one of your direct reports, you should individually talk to that direct report about the news before publicly announcing it. This demonstrates that you care about them and can understand the emotional impact that update may have on them.
Action
This is CRITICAL. Leadership is based on our actions, not title or position. If managers and supervisors do not follow up on their word, act too slow, or are dishonest about their actions (or lack of actions), this will be detrimental to team morale.
Here is the ripple affect: your team is asking for support and advocacy on an initiative and you choose not to actively listen or understand them. You do not engage with them around this topic; you do not invest in your relationships with your team. You do not take further actions to help alleviate the concern, even though multiple members have come to you to address the problem.
The problem becomes a reality- and NOW you "start to act"? You've already lost your team's trust, especially with something that was preventable.
If you do not take actions to support and advocate for your team, or are too slow to act, you are going to lose trust, productivity, and informal authority.
Here is the ripple affect: your team is asking for support and advocacy on an initiative and you choose not to actively listen or understand them. You do not engage with them around this topic; you do not invest in your relationships with your team. You do not take further actions to help alleviate the concern, even though multiple members have come to you to address the problem.
The problem becomes a reality- and NOW you "start to act"? You've already lost your team's trust, especially with something that was preventable.
If you do not take actions to support and advocate for your team, or are too slow to act, you are going to lose trust, productivity, and informal authority.
Develop
Strong leaders, managers, and supervisors develop others. They help their team grow, discover their potential, and dream bigger & higher. It is important to learn what your teammates and direct reports enjoy doing at work and learn where their growth edges are. Connect them to other members of the organization so they learn more about what other roles, jobs, and skills are out there.
People are happy when they do work that engages their strengths and develops their strengths even further.
Focusing on development- committing to helping your team grow- can help prevent you from becoming a micro-manager or your team feeling like you are just using them. But remember, if you are not taking actions to support your team's growth (action), if you are not investing in your relationship with them (empathy), and simply aren't getting a chance to know them (listening), it will not be authentic and most likely not received well. You didn't build trust.
People are happy when they do work that engages their strengths and develops their strengths even further.
Focusing on development- committing to helping your team grow- can help prevent you from becoming a micro-manager or your team feeling like you are just using them. But remember, if you are not taking actions to support your team's growth (action), if you are not investing in your relationship with them (empathy), and simply aren't getting a chance to know them (listening), it will not be authentic and most likely not received well. You didn't build trust.
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L-E-A-D --> LEAD is an easy acronym to guide you in your practice of becoming a better manager or supervisor.
1. Listen
2. Empathy
3. Action
4. Develop
The acronym is easy, but the work isn't. Though, it is worth it. Your future self and team will thank you.
1. Listen
2. Empathy
3. Action
4. Develop
The acronym is easy, but the work isn't. Though, it is worth it. Your future self and team will thank you.
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