Becoming a manager is just the beginning of the journey. Once you are responsible for supervising other people, it is your obligation to learn how to do it and then how to do it well. Ideally, you will have been trained before becoming a manager, but unfortunately, that is the exception and not the rule.
Hopefully when you become a manager, your organization will provide support, training, coaching and ample professional development opportunities. Perhaps they will only provide some. Maybe they won’t provide any. Whatever the case, becoming a strong manager does not happen naturally. It requires investment in your growth- an intentional, consistent and impactful investment. Part of that investment costs money. Hopefully your organization will take care of this for you but in the event that they don’t, you will have to take it upon yourself to figure it out. Thankfully, many of the methods that will help you grow as a supervisor are completely free. Many others come at minimal cost. Those that cost more are sometimes worth it and sometimes not. It’s all part of the learning.
Below are a number of methods you can use to help you grow as a supervisor. Some you will be more naturally drawn to than others, but I encourage you to try each one at least once to see how you may benefit. Keep an open mind and keep in mind that, while learning best practices is important, your own experiences, beliefs and values are an important piece of the puzzle. Similarly, when it comes to receiving recommendations from other people, know that what works for them may not necessarily work with you.
READ
Books- When I first became a manager, books were the first thing I turned to. There is a lot of wisdom to be found in books and other people’s experiences. At the same time, it is easy to get lost in books and not actually implement anything you are learning. For me, after my 4th or 5th leadership book, I began noticing a theme and realized it was time to start putting all of that learning into practice. Now, I continue to use books as a central part of my professional growth, but only one part. There are lots of ways to grow and utilizing several will only enhance that growth. Some personal favorites are Radical Candor: Be a Kick-Ass Boss Without Losing Your Humanity by Kim Scott; The One Thing: The Surprisingly Simple Truth Behind Extraordinary Results by Gary Keller; All In: How the Best Managers Create a Culture of Belief and Drive Big Results by Adrian Gostick & Chester Elton; and How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie.
Articles- The Internet is bursting with articles of all kinds including ones on leadership. Like books, there are a lot to choose from and you will naturally be drawn to some over others. Be open-minded and explore a bit past your comfort zone. Everyone has an opinion, and several of these opinions will conflict with one another. Many articles will focus on opinions and personal preferences rather than hard core truths. Evaluate what you read and what aligns with your values and beliefs. Pay attention to themes. Harvard Business Review is my favorite along with DDI World. Slate Human Interest has some great stuff. As do Entrepreneur, Inc. and Fast Company. Liz Ryan on LinkedIn is my spirit manager. So is Brigette Hyacinth.
Blogs- Blogs have the lowest barrier to publishing so there is a lot of content out there- a lot of great content, a lot of controversial content, a lot of crappy content and a lot of nonsense. Like all resources, take some time to see what’s out there, seek recommendations, and discover what is most valuable to you. You may even feel called to write one of your own. Some of my favorites are Rebecca Elvey, HR Bartender, Steve Farber, Random Acts of Leadership and Lindsey Pollack.
LISTEN
Podcasts- I have to be honest, I’m not into Podcasts. In fact, I’ve only ever listened to one (Serial) and that was years after everyone else did. I can’t personally vouch for these but the Internet seems to think they’re pretty good: Coaching for Leaders, Eternal Leadership, The Tim Ferriss Show, What Great Bosses Know.
Lectures/Speakers/TED Talks- Where you live will determine the options you have for live lectures and speakers but with Internet access you literally have the world at your fingertips. In addition to watching pre-recorded talks, more and more speakers are using technology to broadcast live through platforms like Facebook Live. Listen to multiple speakers and find out who inspires you, challenges you, enriches you and motivates you. Explore and enjoy!
Mentors- Mentors are a wonderful resource and source of support on your leadership journey. If possible, secure more than one. Different mentors will provide different insight and opportunities for growth. When working with mentors, it is important to appreciate the balance between learning from them while understanding that you are not them. Your experience, your goals, and your vision may be different. Your mentors do not need to be clones of you. At the same time, you don’t want someone whose values conflict with your own. Be selective when asking someone to be your mentor and be willing to cut ties if it is not working out.
Feedback- Self-awareness is important but even the most self-aware have blind spots. Feedback helps bring those blind spots to your attention and allows you to begin working on them. Feedback can come from different people at different levels in different areas of your life. Seek it wherever you can, particularly from those whose opinion you value. Be especially open to feedback from those you lead. The more receptive you are to receiving feedback, the more willing people will be to give it. Once they know it is safe to do so, they will begin to offer deeper, more impactful feedback. This will take time but it is time well invested. Invest in it.
TALK
Coaches- As a coach myself, I am unabashedly biased here, but I do sincerely believe that there is great benefit in coaching. And it is not just my opinion; the research supports it. Ideally, your company will recognize this and will foot the bill. In the case that they don’t, consider it a gift to yourself and your growth to personally invest in one. When you are ready for the process and you find a coach that is a good fit, the results will be powerful and even life-changing. Most coaches provide a free session or consultation. Try out a few before committing and ask your friends and colleagues for recommendations. Take this quiz to see if you are ready.
Supervisors- Talk to supervisors from your past and present, your own personal supervisors and those who supervise others. Listen to their experiences, ask them about lessons learned and seek their feedback. Learn what has worked for them and ask about resources that have helped them along the way. Ask your own supervisor for opportunities and money for professional growth. Ask for new responsibilities at work to develop new skills and strengthen existing ones. Ask for lots of feedback. Create a community of support of fellow supervisors that you can talk with and learn from and grow with.
Staff- Your team are your priority when you become a manager. Who better to offer insight on your leadership skills than those you lead. Listen to your team members and keep the conversation going. Pay attention to themes and listen for individual input. Everyone you supervise will experience your leadership differently. Supporting them all effectively will require you to support them equitably but not equally. Mastering this will be a lifelong endeavor and perhaps one of the most challenging.
Peers- Find a support system of your peers, preferably those who are also supervisors. Create time and space to connect with and learn from one another. Meet for coffee or vodka or a walk around the building. Talk by phone or by email or in person. Ask for advice or support or a fresh new perspective. Connect with those inside your office and outside of it. Share your successes and resources. Support one another and challenge one another. Help one another. Grow together.
PARTICIPATE
Workshops- Like lectures, the availability and frequency of in-person workshops will depend on where you live. If you have access to workshops in your area and/or if you have the time and ability to travel, take advantage of all the trainings and workshops you can. Some will inspire you. Some will stink. There is value to be had in both, particularly in the connections you can make. As a new manager, take advantage of all you can. Then the next go around, you can be more discerning about choosing workshops that bring the most value.
Conferences- Like workshops, conferences are a great way to increase your knowledge while connecting with other people in your field. Some will be free and others will be quite expensive. Attend as time and money allow.
Meetup Groups- Meetup groups vary by city, but each city will have professional as well as social groups. In most cases, participation is free. See what your area has in terms of networking, leadership and content-specific groups. Try out different ones and decide which one is most beneficial to you. Consider starting your own.
Webinars- Full disclosure time again- I’m not a huge fan of webinars but they provide great value to a lot of people and they are absolutely everywhere. If they work for you, you will have more than enough opportunities to partake in them.
Mastermind Groups- Mastermind groups are another great way to strengthen your leadership skills. These are more challenging to find than some of the other options listed here. Ask your mentors or trusted peers for recommendations.
Facebook Groups- There are online groups for everything and Facebook groups are one of the more popular options. Some groups have 2 members in them and some have 200,000. Search for groups that are of particular interest to you and ask to join. These are always free and can provide great insight and support among members
Self-Assessments- Self assessments are a great way to gauge where you are and where you need to grow as a leader. Make these assessments a regular part of your professional growth plan. There are loads to choose from. Mine is a good place to start.
CARE
About Your Staff- Your genuine care for your staff and their growth is perhaps the most important item on this list. Taking advantage of all of the other opportunities listed here while not caring about your team will only take you so far. On the flip side, caring about your staff but not developing your skills will limit your effectiveness as well. Both are necessary to be a true leader.
About Your Growth- Hand in hand with caring about your staff is caring about your growth as their leader. In order to get better you need to invest the appropriate amount of time, money and energy. If you don’t really care about getting better, you will find these investments to be a waste. If you understand the value in your own development, however, the investment will be well worth it to you and your mission to become a strong leader.
Becoming a manager is an important step in your career but it is just the beginning. Once you take on this new role, you owe it to yourself and to those you supervise to do it well. In order to do it well, you have a number of different methods and resources at your disposal. Try them all out and see which ones bring you the most value. Be open-minded but also be efficient. Learn what works for you and stick with that. Whatever works best, keep at it and keep investing in yourself and your growth. A true leader wouldn’t have it any other way.
If you would like more support to become a stronger supervisor, we invite you to join our value-packed, self-paced virtual course, From Struggling Supervisor to Thriving Leader. This course will give you everything you need to better support your staff while becoming a stronger leader. Start today and revisit the material as mnay times as is helpful. Click the photo below for more information.
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