Coaching Corner
Developing Strategy05-Apr-2010
Q – I’ve gotten feedback from my boss that I need to be more “strategic.” When I ask him for specifics, he says I need to “bring more to the table” in terms of big ideas. I’m not even sure what this means… my team is doing great work, and I’m well liked by my peers and my direct reports. What am I missing?
A – Your boss wants you to to demonstrate “thought leadership”– that is, he wants you to develop a specific point of view about three things, each of which needs to be grounded in the context of the company’s position in the marketplace. Do some research about your industry, your competitors, and your own company’s capabilities, and then answer these three questions: 1) how can your team’s current products or services be enhanced to produce even greater results for the company? 2) where can you develop new products or services that will help the company move forward? 3) how can you partner more effectively with the rest of the organization (or with external partners) to help the company be successful? Leaders who get a reputation for being “strategic” do so by looking into the future and positioning their teams for success – they paint a picture of where the team needs to go,and chart a course for getting there. Leaders need to do more than just execute what’s right in front of them… they also need to create a vision for what’s next and a strategy for getting there.
Team Leadership04-Apr-2010
Q – I’ve just taken a new job and will be leading a group of ten people. The largest team I’ve ever had was three people; what advice do you have for managing this large of a team?
A – Ten direct reports is a lot; more than I’d normally recommend. That said, you need to get to know each direct report personally, in order to assess their capabilities. You need to form your own opinion of each person’s character, skills, experience, work ethic, etc. Meet with them individually in a series of 1:1’s over the first 30-45 days, and be purposeful in these meetings; work from a list of specific questions (this will help you remain unbiased), and determine who’s really talented, who’s merely good, and who might be lacking the skills you need. You may end up keeping all of them as direct reports (given the context of your role), but chances are you’ll find that a handful (5-6) of the best players are well suited to be on your immediate team, with the rest folding in under them (thereby creating supervisory opportunities for your high potential people).
