Estimated Reading Time 4 Minutes
Takeaway
Managers need to commit to their ongoing education with a planned program of lifelong learning.
Point #1 – Good Individual Performers Don’t Naturally Make Good Coaches
When you decide to become a manager, you are making a decision to build a career around the art and science of getting results with and through the voluntary cooperation of others. The expectation is that because you were good at the work, you will be good at helping and leading others do the work. The idea that because you were good doing the work, you will be good at leading and managing others to do the work, is not necessarily a natural reality.
Consider the world of sports for an example of this. How often in team sports do the top individual players go on to careers as head coaches? Why not? Well for starters let’s understand that often, the top performers succeed due to some combination of both teachable and non-teachable qualities. For example, you can teach good shooting form in basketball, but you can’t teach height. Some star athletes start out with some advantages like quickness and eye-hand coordination that give them a marked advantage that won’t necessarily be present with most of the individuals they will have to coach.
The tool bag is different and the strategies more complex when you go from doing the work to coaching the workers. How do you motivate and inspire others? How do you teach in a systematic way that will guarantee a reasonable level of success for anyone regardless of natural abilities? How do you get people to trust and follow you? These are just a few of the new tools you will need to learn and master.
Then there is the ability to fail regularly on the way to learning to be successful. New coaches typically start out at the bottom and have to endure a learning curve that is unfamiliar to someone who has been the star for quite some time. It’s extremely unsettling and yet inevitable.
The same may be true for you if you have recently moved into a manager’s role. The key here is to understand that it’s not going to happen naturally that you experience the same level of success that you had in your previous role doing the work. Mentally prepare yourself that you have a lot to learn and commit to being a student.
Point #2 – All Learning is Self Learning
When the student is ready, the teacher appears. You will never teach someone until they have the question, and neither will you learn unless you have identified what you want to learn, and why. You can’t rely on anyone to teach you, you have to choose to learn. The one thing I encourage you to do is to commit to a planned program of learning to become a successful manager.
Point #3 – What Should Be in Your Learning Plan?
Here’s some ideas for elements to include in your learning plan;
- A good mentor. See my post on choosing a mentor wisely at https://www.fundamentalsformanagementsuccess.com/2017/07/02/choose-a-mentor-wisely/
- Regular reading. I am an advocate of reading everything you can on subjects like recruiting, training, motivation, psychology, leadership, and management. If you don’t currently have good reading habits, understand that it will require you to schedule some specific reading time into your schedule. I’m a fan of reading first thing in the morning as part of my morning routine.
- Podcasts. If you spend 20 minutes or more per day alone in a vehicle commuting, use that time to educate yourself.
- Join a group. Find a group of managers either online or in your town. You can even start a group yourself. Agree to meet monthly and discuss topics related to managers.
- Courses. The internet is full of opportunities, many free, to take a course on a variety of topics.
Be intentional about what you want to learn and the various methods you will use. Commit this to your calendar. Spend some of your own money. I have always believed you should spend 1-3% of your annual gross income investing in your career. If you make $50,000 per year that means spending $500-$1500. It may even be possible to go to your boss and share your education plan and request the company match your funds as a way to increase your learning opportunities.
Conclusion
Never make the mistake of thinking you’ve mastered the job of manager. It’s a journey, not a destination. People follow managers who are committed to getting better.
Transformational Exercise
Take a few minutes and jot down any and all of your learning experiences so far in 2017. What books have you read this year that have been helpful to you as a manager? Have you attended any classes or seminars on management? Do you have a regular meeting scheduled with a mentor? Are you reading any blogs or listening to any management podcasts?
Next ask yourself if you feel your learning plan is where you want it to be? Would the people you lead be impressed with what your plan says about your commitment to be the best manager you can be?
Finally, do you have a written plan for your education the balance of 2017?
