Where do you belong as a manager? Cultivated Management newsletter.
Hi and welcome to this week's Cultivated Management newsletter.
Here in the office are lots of fund raising activities for Red Nose day here in the UK. I'm wearing red, intend to buy some of the delicious cakes people have made and plan on spending plenty of time mingling in the fun.
Where do you belong?
If you move into management from an individual contributor role (which most people do) then you'll likely find the transition somewhat tricky. Maybe you will find it painful, bewildering, challenging, daunting, anxiety inducing or many more emotions too. It's natural.
As you become a manager you need to shift your focus away from doing the work and being in the system, to improving it. You will shift to working on the "system" rather than in it. It can be unsettling. Your role is no longer about the technical aspects of the work, it is now about empowering, enabling and supporting others who are doing the work.
I found this move very unsettling and anxiety inducing, especially as I no longer felt relevant at many of the industry events and conferences too. I didn't do the work anymore. It becomes hard to fit in with your team and peers when you make the move to management. Not impossible, but tricky to find the right balance.
You may need to find a new tribe of people ; managers! You may find more value in attending HR, leadership and management events rather than industry specific events. You may find you naturally start to hang around different people at work.
You have a sign saying "manager" over your head now - people will treat you differently, your focus of work will change, your business results will shift, your focus will widen.
Go slowly. Don't be aloof with your team. Don't remove yourself from knowing the work, being around the work and understanding the work. Don't put too much pressure on yourself. Don't expect people to treat you the same. Go forth and forge a new focus. Improve the work and the system and empower others.
Find where you belong by doing the work and not seeking recognition, because little of it comes a manager's way in my experience.
Being a manager is an epic career - but appreciate that transitioning to a manager can be a daunting experience for some.
Complexity
I've had a very quiet week in terms of learning. I've been scouring TED talks all week instead of reading or listening to podcasts. Here's a brilliant talk on why complexity is your biggest challenge as a business owner, entrepreneur or manager and six strategies for dealing with it:
https://www.ted.com/talks/yves_morieux_as_work_gets_more_complex_6_rules_to_simplify
Until next time.
Rob..