Developing as a manager is a perpetual exercise in leveling up. Just when you think you’ve developed some competence at the role and are asked to take on more responsibilities, WHAM, you hit the wall of new, ambiguous challenges. In my work as an executive and emerging leader coach, I see the following stages as the most challenging for managers:
- From contributor to manager
- From manager to manager of managers
- The move to senior management
The challenges of the first step are widely understood. My Manager’s Operating System™ is a powerful tool to leverage at all levels, particularly for moving from contributor to manager or supporting the development of new managers on your team.
For levels 2,3, here are the areas where I see too many managers run smack dab into the wall as they strive to level up.
Six Big Level-Up Challenges of Rising Managers
1. Becoming a manager of managers
Recognizing the different needs your managers have for coaching and support versus your team members, mainly if this is their first time managing. (Again, the Manager’s Operating System is your go-to toolset.)
Building competence as a manager of managers is much about building a fresh culture where the work of the groups connects to the bigger picture of organizational goals and strategies. To do this, you must coach, communicate, share, and ensure the context for the work is clear, all the while supporting a healthy working environment at scale.
2. Letting go of your old job
It is critical to give your managers the autonomy they need while helping them develop without endangering performance, quality, or the working environment. While you might have gotten over micromanaging when you just had contributors as direct reports, it’s hard for many to let go of that daily contact with the doers. Be careful here, or you risk disempowering your new managers.
An exercise I encourage for managers at all levels—jointly writing the rules for success—may be the most valuable activity too many skip. Don’t do that. Instead, work with your managers and their team members to write the rules for success. Ensure there’s clarity around the meaning of accountability, the expectations to give and receive feedback, and how to collaborate, problem-solve, disagree, and resolve. Your efforts here will aid your managers and everyone in building a healthy team environment.
3. Tuning into your new role.
The new manager of managers is often disoriented and unsure of where they should spend their time or focus on priorities. Here’s the first and most crucial step most managers skip: ask your new direct report managers what they need from you in your role. Try “Angela’s Question” At the end of our time working together, when you’re, and we’re successful, what will you say I did?
4. Getting over your manager myopia
You’re conditioned to think about your function, team, and challenges. That served you well before. Now, it’s time to shift your view and efforts to cross-departmental collaboration, supporting broader strategy and innovation efforts and becoming a more valuable resource for your senior manager boss. The inability to adjust their altitude serves as a tripping for too many striving to scale their success.
5. Learning to lead at scale.
Developing talent, coaching teams, synchronizing efforts across groups, and cultivating the influence and relationships essential for moving significant initiatives forward are all challenges for the emerging senior manager. So is the issue of joining others across the organization in large-scale initiatives or strategic problem-solving. A helpful exercise for many is to make two lists: Behaviors to Stop and Behaviors to Start.
6. Engaging effectively with senior executives
Individuals in executive roles have typically lived some version of your professional life and successfully navigated the abovementioned issues. They are looking for individuals at your level who speak the language of strategy, value-creation, and innovation and know how to bring these ideas to life.
Knowing what’s happening with your function and team is table stakes for admission. The expectation now is that you are ready and able to engage and contribute to topics that transcend your functional boundary. Preparing for executive encounters and engaging with a larger-picture perspective is imperative. Too many managers on the cusp of senior management remain anchored to their functions’ tactical issues and problems and fail to see and create the bigger picture. Growth in your critical thinking is essential, and the first step is to recognize the rules of your level are different.
The Bottom Line for Now
This is a big topic wrapped in a short article. As a rising manager, spend time parsing the ideas and suggestions here. Assess how they apply to you. What actions can you identify? What are you tripping on in your role? And where’s the wall that you’re about to run into? It feels great to skip running into the wall.
Are you striving to scale your success as a rising senior manager? In this program, work with executive and emerging leader coach Art Petty and your cohort members to cultivate the behaviors, approaches, and skills essential for success at a higher level. This unique professional development experience incorporates Art Petty’s cohort plus coaching model to ensure you can tailor the ideas to your unique situation. COMING SOON!
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