How do I help my manager manage better?
How does one effectively navigate a direct supervisor who is non-responsive to your needs? I have spoken with him directly and nothing has changed in spite of his claims to the contrary. I have a review coming up soon and he always asks “what can I do better as a manager?” I always offer the same response with some action items and they go for naught. As an aside, I am still able to function in my current role effectively, however my concern is my upward mobility given his indifference.
Signed,
Muddled Manager
Dear Muddled Manager:
I commend you for retaining your fervor for learning and developing, even when it is not supported, and I urge you not to give up!
There appear to be two issues here: one is his improvement as a manager and the other is his support of your career. These are different issues, and you may achieve better results if each is approached separately. Your performance review is an appropriate venue for discussing your career direction in the organization, but perhaps a separate conversation would be more effective to discuss “what he can do better as a manager.”
Three questions come to mind in exploring your dilemma:
- Do you believe your supervisor really understands what you are requesting?
- Does he/she sincerely want feedback to become a better manager?
- Is he/she capable of providing what you asked for?
Do you believe your supervisor really understands what you are requesting?
Is your request too general? Do each of you interpret differently what you are asking for? You say that you always give him the same response when he asks what he can do differently to be a better manager. Can you express your request in a different way? For example, some people take action when given specific suggestions regarding changes to job tasks, while others respond better to suggestions regarding behavioral changes. It is important to understand how he/she best accepts feedback, and deliver it in that manner.
Does he/she sincerely want to become a better manager?
Do you believe your supervisor’s request for feedback is sincere? Is he/she invested in helping you develop so that you can achieve the upward mobility you desire? Ideally, a good supervisor should be invested in developing capacity. He/she should be promoting education, skill development and career fulfillment and also challenging people to ensure the organization develops future leaders. If this is not happening and you are hungry to be the best you can be, it is important to begin considering other opportunities where the supervisor and environment will help you develop.
Do you believe your supervisor is capable of providing what you asked for?
As in any relationship, the other person isn’t always capable of providing what we need. If your supervisor is not capable of this, is there someone else in your organization that can provide what you require? Is your organization committed to developing its employees? For example, if your need is not job-specific, but you would like a mentoring relationship, is there someone else in the organization you could approach?
Several books that might be helpful for you to read are:
Difficult Conversations: How To Discuss What Matters Most, Stone, Patton & Heen
Crucial Conversations: Tools For Talking When the Stakes Are High, Patterson, Grenny, McMillan & Switzler
Remember to follow this conversation for additional comments and suggestions, and please feel free to write the "Management Muddle" group again.
Best of luck,
Best of luck,
Sandra LaJeunesse, Senior Associate, ODDA and Partner, Odyssey Consulting
Laura Freebairn-Smith, Principal, ODDA
Also take a look at these additional resources:
“Crucial Skills”, a blog by the authors of Difficult Conversations, Joseph Grenny, Kerry Patterson, Ron McMillan and Al Switzler.
Management Muddle(TM) is a registered trademark of Laura Freebairn-Smith and Organizational Design and Development Associates.
I recommend what I call the Leader-Learner [TM] Model. On any given day you are either leading or learning. Too often managers feel that have to be leading all the time. It makes it impossible to say simply "I don't know" and then seek help to get an answer.
ReplyDelete