For almost 30 years, I have been in leadership roles with direct and indirect reports – team members whom I managed and led. It took me years to understand the difference between those two functions, and if I had to summarize my learning, it could be done with this statement:
Managers oversee projects; Leaders develop people
What I enjoy more than any other aspect of my work is helping team members step fully into their potential. In every work situation, the best work is accomplished by teams where each member is able to spend the most amount of time doing what they do best. My role, as leader, is to clear out the obstacles that prevent team members from performing at their peak. Sometimes this requires additional training or resources, and sometimes it’s removing roadblocks generated by ineffective systems or processes. Often issues are compounded by how team members interact with their colleagues.
As I start working for myself, it gives me great pleasure to be able to coach others outside of a traditional work construct. While I am still discerning the services of my new practice, I know I have knowledge to share. I understand certain work processes and situations very well, and I’d like to shorten the learning curve for others. An example is the hiring process. Having spent decades on both sides of this negotiation, I know the “rules of the game”, and can help others navigate writing a resume that gets attention, acing interviews, negotiating compensation … and, I can help those seeking to hire a great new team member write a job description that will interest qualified candidates, perform meaningful reference checks, and most importantly, on-board and evaluate new team members in the crucial 30/60/90 day trial period.
One of my favorite coaching projects is working with first-time people leaders, my preferred term to indicate the role of leading others, not just getting work done. The leader’s goal is a team that feels fully qualified and supported to perform their functions, that trusts one another to identify challenges and to brainstorm solutions, and where each team member understands their role on the team, operating both independently and collaboratively to get the strongest results in the least amount of time. Leading a team to this “sweet spot” takes skill and time, and anyone can be a good leader if they are willing to work at it. I’d like to help you get there, if that is your desire.
Coaching Areas:
Finding the next step in your career
Leading a team to success; building trust
Negotiating compensation and clarifying roles
Prioritizing your time; finding the balance
Interviewing skills, both for candidates and hiring managers
Conflict resolution
Building greater relationships up, down and across levels
Over the next few months, I will be building out my coaching business. One element that I am passionate about is ensuring guidance is available to all, so I am looking at business models that include virtual coaching and a sliding scale on costs. Work should be a place where we feel accomplished and appreciated, but so often I find, it’s a “people issue” that prevents it from being so. All of us can make improvements to our work environment if we are willing to address these issues with compassion and courage. If you feel you would benefit from some coaching, either ongoing or just as a one-time conversation, please don’t hesitate to reach out.
Going forward, I’m going to use this space to answer some work-related questions that colleagues have sent to me. If you have a work question that you’d like me to answer, please feel free to send it to me. I cannot promise that my answers will work in every scenario, because indeed every work environment requires special consideration based on culture, talent, and history. But what I can promise is to provide some guidance that will move the situation forward, and movement is progress. More to follow! Thank you for your time today.
Photo Caption: Yes, the team really did bring the Endeavor to Los Angeles! One of our most successful projects, and a true team effort.
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