So I recently met up with an old mentor….and he had in his wallet the top tips I gave him….a laminated card! I was really surprised and thought I’d share….this is more than 20 years ago!
Here’s the context…the person was a very high energy, strong personality. He was the smartest person in the room (but didn’t think so because he didn’t have a college degree), and a total workaholic. He was appointed to be the head of a large organization ….and he was brand new to them. So here’s what I shared:
- Slow down: make sure you’re keeping everyone together…round up the stragglers, control the ones who run ahead.
- Consensus: not everyone has to agree, but the majority has to be willing to follow.
- Access: you need a lot of access with your people…one on ones as well as group meetings to support them.
- Create competition in a positive way: share best practices with the rest of the team, pass around examples in a good way. Support those who try.
- Ask questions…don’t give answers. People have to understand how you think…not just the answer. There are no right answers…it’s more important they understand the why…why did you pick that answer?
Nothing is harder than leading and managing others. When you’re new, the challenges are even higher because the needs of the role changes….and the skills you need do too.