Hey Morris, I work in media and I’ve been told that because I’m an exceptionally gifted contributor, due to my ability to always find the most efficient process to get things done fast and well, I’m being promoted to my first managerial position! I have a clear understanding of the company’s vision, but as a new manager, I’m also responsible for managing other gifted people. At this level, what does success look like? And what do I need to change so l won’t be treated like an order taker anymore?
-Baby Manager
Dear Baby Manager,
First off, congratulations on your promotion, and welcome to management!
You wondered what success looks like, to me it’s simple. As a Baby Manager, success only comes when your entire team is successful. Your success comes if the sum of what they accomplish meets or exceeds the business goal set for the team (and/or each member’s individual contribution goals). Also, you have groomed at least one successor to replace you as the manager. If you achieve both the business and the management goals, then you’ll move up the management ladder quickly, which is the natural outcome of your success.
For a first-time manager, managing others can be difficult because how she got to a managerial position was based on managing herself to achieve individual excellence. However, what is required of her now is team excellence: she has to manage a set of people to perform to excellence. The transition from me- to we-focused isn’t natural for everyone.
Based on my experience, the quickest way to become a successful manager is to think you work for the members of your team. You’re there to unblock obstacles for them, to mentor and coach them to become better contributors, and to groom them to take over your position someday. The groom-a-successor point is important in that the higher up you go in management, the more managers you’ll manage. Someone who doesn’t have the ability to develop the team so that successors can come from within is a flag that may indicate limitations in their management abilities.
You mentioned that you have been recognized as doing things fast and well. This is most likely what your company would like you to do: help the members of your team to learn your process so that they can do things fast and well also. You’ve already acknowledged that they’re gifted, so it’s a great opportunity for them to learn from you how they can be efficient in producing with their gift. If you can teach them that, then they can be the you that is right now… and you can then rise higher, perhaps with the new manager working for you as a direct report.
Finally, on the order-taking part. For as long as you’re in business, you’ll never stop taking orders. Taking orders, whether it’s from customers, managers, peers, shareholders, or even your subordinates doesn’t stop just because you become a manager. That’s because business is built upon the idea that someone places an order and someone else fulfills the order, it’s the way value is transferred between parties. You actually want your team to be the best order takers in the company – it’s job security! Even if when you said ‘order-taking’ you were referring to lack of respect or status for an individual contributor, you’d still want to be the best order takers.
Why?
Because then you and your team will be recognized, not as order takers, but as superstars who are able to exceed expectations and do the impossible. If you give the rest of the company this impression, then you’ll be a management success story.
Good luck and congratulations again!
Is there something on your mind?
Please send it to questions@heymorris.com and I’ll do my best to be helpful in a future post.
Hey Morris 