New Leader Tuesday at Management Excellence

The New Leader Tuesday series is dedicated to the proposition that one of the most critical tasks we have is developing the next generation of leaders. If you are new to leading or if you are charged with the development of new leaders on your team, please join the discussion, ask questions and share your insights!  And I would love to have you join our mailing list for our forthcoming New-Leaders e-News.

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I always admire the exuberance of conscientious first-time leaders to jump into situations that might detract from their new team’s performance. This conscientiousness about doing things right and getting things done is likely part of what earned them a promotion to supervisor, team lead or some title that places them in a role responsible for others.

However, the desire to do right and keep things moving and keep people happy, opens up a few potential leadership tripping points, including getting actively involved in “he said/she-said” or “he did/he didn’t” type discussions and reacting too quickly to hearsay without checking out the facts.

The most successful leaders understand the power and import of direct observation and they seek out ample opportunities to both observe AND provide input on their observations as it relates to business performance. They also learn to avoid the hearsay traps.

4 Suggestions for Sidestepping Hearsay Traps:

1. Use scheduled and unscheduled meeting time as observation time. While you may not have a formal role in some meetings, your attendance will provide you with a variety of observations useful to assessing and improving performance. Look for communication dynamics, the ability of people to share differing opinions and approaches to brainstorming and problem-solving. Be aware that your presence does potentially alter behavior.

2. Push away from the keyboard! Walkabouts provide opportunities for informal conversations and observations. While this has long been referenced as Managing by Walking Around (MBWA), the act of pushing away from your keyboard and desk and getting out on the floor with your team members is a time-tested tactic for gaining insight into how people work together. If your team is distributed, substitute calls or video chats..both planned and spontaneous.

3. Don’t support the creation of a hearsay culture. Your interest in the wrong types of conversations will create opportunities for some to take advantage of your willingness to listen. As an early career supervisor, I found myself inappropriately responding to complaints of co-workers (about other co-workers) by verbally jumping on the alleged perpetrator. While I didn’t intend it as an indictment or an attack, but more of, “if you’re doing this, cut it out,” it was received as an indictment and an attack.  Respond to a complaint from one person about another with an “I’ll look into it,” and then do it. Just don’t jump on anyone without investigating.

4. Always investigate and substantiate for yourself. Some complaints about others merit investigation. Ethical issues, harassment complaints etc. demand immediate attention and escalation. Others of the “he said/she said” or, “he did/she didn’t” variety simply merit closer observation by you. Sometimes, just your observation is enough to ensure the alleged behavior disappears. Of course, if it’s real, that opens the door for a feedback discussion.

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As you will quickly learn, one of the most important tools you will need to master as someone responsible for a team, is how to conduct effective feedback discussions. Fact-based observation is the foundation for effective feedback. Work hard to push away from your desk and keyboard and create opportunities to observe your team members in action. No one enjoys getting caught in a Hearsay trap.

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For more ideas on professional development-one sound bite at a time, check our Art’s latest book: Leadership Caffeine-Ideas to Energize Your Professional Development. 

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An ideal book for anyone starting our in leadership: Practical Lessons in Leadership by Art Petty and Rich Petro.

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