It's STILL up to YOU!

Time to add some more weight on those shoulders of yours! Let’s continue with some ideas on personal responsibility as a manager.

UNDERSTAND PROGRAMS & PROCESSES

You may only have a few but may have many and it is so important that you understand each one.  How can you help a person if you don't understand their job and how it needs to be performed?  When someone is struggling you have a much better chance to help them out of the situations when you can probe intelligently and find the "aha moment" for them.  I'm not saying you have to intimately know every program or processes, but you should have an excellent working knowledge and the ability to have an intelligent conversation about it

KNOW EACH POSITION

If you don't know all of the tasks associated with each position, then your people won't either.  You need to know and understand each task so that you can accurately train as well as be clear about your expectations. I believe that documenting all aspects of a position puts everyone at ease and sets the tone for subsequent interactions. Make sure that you invite questions while going over the description so that any misunderstanding or misconception is cleared up from the get go.

TRAIN HOW THEY LEARN

Be prepared to teach using multiple methods.  Just because you learn a specific way doesn't mean everyone on your team learns the same way.  The Tony Robbins survey that I recommend in the Resources Ideas section below is a great way to understand how each person on your team learns.  Be prepared to produce multiple avenues for learning.  Take the time to get feedback after you have trained to ensure that the subject is being received AND understood.

TREAT THEM LIKE ADULTS

Set the tone early that you expect them to behave as adults. When it comes to doing their job, let them know you have expectations and what they are.  Make sure to give feedback if they are not met.  When it comes to time off, ask them to tell you how their position will be covered in their absence.  It is their responsibility to make sure their job gets done while they are out of the building. Help them take ownership of their desk and take pride in planning how tasks will be covered in their absence.  I never feared about coverage when someone said they would be in late because of Dr. appointment, a child's play at school or an early departure for a fun getaway. With time they all understood I was happy to be flexible as long as they were responsible about coverage.

ADVOCATE

It is your job to fight for your team.  If there are roadblocks to them doing their work because of other departments, programs, processes etc., then you need to work diligently to remove them.  You need to develop strong working relationships with every department head that intersects with yours so that you can have productive conversations to find solutions to the roadblock. Take time to understand how other departments work and how your department effects theirs and vice versa.  Develop relationships with upper management as there may be situations that warrant your advocacy there too.

I could probably go on for several blog posts, but I'll leave this HUGE topic here for now.  I think you get the picture by now that YOU are the conduit for highly engaged, effective teams.  When you develop your leadership muscle and become a People Gardener, you will be rewarded with a much smoother work day, better quality work, more productivity and more fun.