Are you a random admin? (2023)

Zayne was exceptional at his job. When you gave Zayne a task, you knew you didn't have to report to him. It's done. Reports were always received early. Sales targets were achieved, even exceeded. Zayne was a great collaborator and team player, but often preferred to work alone in the corner meeting room. Due to her performance, Zayne was soon promoted and put in charge of a small team of five people. A few months later, Zayne was having problems.

Does this story ring a bell?

When the career path to managerial leadership is unclear, results-oriented, high-performing employees are often suddenly promoted into the role, and more because of their technical strengths than their people management skills. Many of these "accidental managers" are later released onto their teams without proper training. Unfortunately, this phenomenon is very common. In the UK, more than two-thirds of managers classify themselves as "random managers.” In fact, theChartered Institute of Managementestimates that around 2.4 million of the UK's 3.4 million managers fall into this category. If these values ​​are similar in the US, then more than 17 million hiring managers are ill-equipped to support their workforce.

The result is a new manager who is afraid andimposter syndrome, which could lead to a separation between them and their direct reports. It can have a negative impact on the team.productivity, level of commitment and well-being. As a matter of fact,current researchpoints out that managers can have an equal (if not greater) impact on the mental health of their employees than their spouses, doctors, or therapists.

So what do you do if you are a casual manager?

Becoming an accidental manager presents a number of risks, both on an individual and organizational level. In addition to the potentially damaging effects on you and your team, random managers are doomed to fail. They spend their time doing something at which they have relatively little experience or training, instead of doing the job they are best at.

Through our work as managerial and organizational performance improvement specialists, we have observed that many casual managers cling to their former roles as a survival mechanism. They become feared perfectionists or micro-managers who, perhaps without realizing it, do part of their old jobs instead of delegating tasks to their teams. Team members, in turn, feel discouraged when their growth and development slows.

The good news is that your path to management doesn't have to continue to define you. Short of more formal training, you can use what is known as the STAR Method to excel in your new role. The STAR Method is a simple four-step management framework – Stop, Think, Ask, Result – that can help managers adopt coaching-related behaviors that help inspire higher levels of collaboration and foster solution-focused teams. It starts with transforming your day-to-day behavior to a more research-oriented management approach. Learn to ask questions designed to stimulate a team member to think more deeplyhas proven to be an effective methodto use their talents.

Retrain your mind.

To fully embrace the role of people management, you need to shift your mindset from being a doer to being a supporter of others. This is usually the most difficult change for managers. Occasional managers often adopt a managerial command-and-control style, tackling and trying to solve problems that repeatedly come their way. However, your main job is no longer writing code, producing articles, or analyzing data. Now it's all about empowering, guiding and motivating your team to achieve similar results through their own efforts. You can't do the work for them.

The first step is learning how to do it.FUSES- Resist the temptation to immediately solve your team's challenges. If you feel compelled to do this, learning to quit can break your habit of reacting immediately and give you a chance.THINK. Why did this person approach me? What do you need from me? Would they like help with brainstorming, or are they just looking for validation or a confidence boost in their work? How can I help them do this task better? Will my feedback make things better or just different?

Ask more effective questions.

To help your employees solve problems,QUESTIONSQuestions to stimulate your own thinking. Giving people the opportunity to contribute to a solution, rather than present it to them, shows that you believe in their potential and are confident in your ownership.

As a child, you probably hated it when your parents asked you "why" you did something. Apply the same logic to your team members. Replace "why" questions with "what" questions.BecauseQuestions based on canaccusing sound,as if the employee was responsible for the problem he presented. This often leads to a defensive attitude that clouds your assessment of the situation. Replacing "why" with "what" brings the conversation back to the facts of the situation that it allows you to resolve.

For example, instead of asking "Why did you assume the market size was small?" change the question to "What factors led you to believe that the size of the market is small?" It's a small change, but it charges your direct superiors to share your thoughts openly without fear of consequences. Remoteany hint of guiltThat way, an employee is more likely to be encouraged to dig into the details and build a bond of trust.

Practice active listening.

If you really want to earn the trust of your new team, practiceactively listeningduring these conversations. What does that mean exactly? It means giving the speaker your undivided attention without being distracted and showing genuine interest in what is being said.

For example, after asking your direct report a question to help them think about a particular challenge, resist the urge to interrupt with your own contribution. Instead, he acknowledges his words by nodding his head after they make a point. Be present in the moment and focus on what they are saying and not saying. Then repeat what you hear: “I hear what you say. (Rephrase the problem or details in your own words.) That sounds like a difficult question. Do you have any ideas on how to proceed or would you like me to help you brainstorm?”

Your ultimate goal is to map the other person's talents and logic and help them determine a clear next step (aRESULT) that they can take to start solving the problem. Keep in mind that there is more than one path to the solution. You need to help your team members find their own way if you want them to build resilience and be able to handle similar situations on their own in the future. If you feel discouraged or stuck in the middle of a conversation, ask open-ended questions like, "This is one way to do this." What else could I do to further reduce our time to market?" or "What else? Do you have any thoughts on this?

Most of us are taught to "ask open questions." If you go further and learn to ask more meaningful questions that help put the other person in the mindset they need in the moment, you can also create a more authentic connection with the employee. In turn, they will feel more comfortable and confident in thinking through the problems with you and eventually coming to you with answers instead of problems.

. . .

Like everything else, practice makes perfect. Over time, asking thoughtful questions that allow your employees to learn will become second nature. Repeated use of a research-based approach will not only help you build stronger relationships with your direct reports, but it will also improve their engagement and performance levels by encouraging them to embrace the autonomy they need to grow.

Those who report to you now will feel valued and heard. They will develop the confidence to solve problems independently, thus improving their own skills for a successful future.