Managers, be explicit about what you need from your team
Managers, be explicit about what you need from your teamSometimes you want to let your team figure things out via trial and error, and other times, it’s faster and better for everyone if you point out what you're looking for.
👋 Hey, it’s Wes. Welcome to my weekly newsletter on managing up, career growth, and standing out as a leader in tech. ⛑️ If you’re looking for a sparring partner and external perspective, work with me for 1:1 executive coaching. I typically work with tech leaders on: Managing up to a CEO/SVP, strengthening your executive communication, framing your ideas, and delegating to a team of ICs while raising the bar. If you’re interested in how I can support you, learn more about my coaching approach. This week, you’ll learn why it’s extremely valuable to be explicit with your direct reports. We’ll cover a case study from my own work and principles to keep in mind. Read time: 6 minutes Managing a team of junior or mid-career individual contributors (ICs) has some pros and cons. The advantages are: junior talent is often eager, more within your budget, and isn’t burdened by bad habits they learned from other organizations. But one of the biggest downsides? You often have to spell things out for them. Because they’ve had fewer years in the workplace, they often have fewer data points on what excellence looks like. They haven’t gotten as much feedback from previous managers. They also might not know what “normal” expectations are for someone in their role. This is why it’s extremely valuable to be explicit. Early on at Maven, when we planned marketing events, it felt a bit ad hoc because we were building the plane while flying it. Not knowing whether things were going to be taken care of created unnecessary stress. I wanted my team to be more organized. One day, my direct report said:
They were running the events relatively well, but I had specific things in mind for what else I wanted them to do. I realized I needed to be explicit about these additions. Here’s my reply, with color-coding:
Why this works:
Considerations when being explicitThe breakdown above is about a specific situation, so here are general considerations to keep in mind when you try this yourself.
With my Slack response above, I could have only said, “For sure. Added a hold in my calendar.” Then I could have silently wished my team would show more ownership, or work with me in a different way. Hoping for these things or feeling resentful doesn’t help. You’re the manager. You’re the leader. It’s up to you to frame the conversation, and be explicit about what you want to see and why. I bet most folks on your team are eager to do right by you. Give them a chance by being upfront and concrete with what you want from them. My questions for you: When have you been explicit with a team member, and what was the result? When have you appreciated when your manager was explicit with you? Hit reply because I’d love to hear from you. Thanks for being here, and I’ll see you next Wednesday at 8am ET. Wes PS Here are more ways to connect:
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