Developing Leaders
Dr. Jim,
I promoted our communications coordinator to manager. She is skilled and experienced, but her direct reports are still coming to me instead of her. How do I help her to assert herself?
-Will*
Hi Will,
Your statement, she is skilled and experienced—yes, skilled and experienced in communications as a coordinator, but not skilled and experienced as a leader or manager. So, your job is to help her learn how to become a better manager. If she is not developed she's going to become what we call an accidental leader and will likely not do well in the role. Here's what you do: Find some articles for her to read about leadership and management. Have weekly meeting with her to talk about what's going well in her new job and responsibilities, what needs improvement, and what we might be missing. Then give her some encouragement. The other thing that's really important is if her direct reports keep coming to you, direct them back to her. I am assuming that you have been through significant leadership or management training and you know how to do these things. If you too are an accidental leader who has been promoted but not developed, that's a problem. Come do one of our workshops!
-Dr. Jim
*names have been changed
