Meeting in the Middle

I’m often asked by colleagues and those I mentor to define my management style. I’ve found, what they’re really asking is for my advice on how I manage a team. A friend recently posed this question to me, and as I had been thinking about the lessons I’ve learned through the mistakes I made, I realized that the way I approach the management of my direct reports today has been significantly informed by my learnings from the past.

Micromanaging is not my style. It never has been, and I can’t imagine it ever will be. I want my team members to feel empowered and accountable. I want them to trust me and know that I trust them. I want morale to be high and team members to feel like they are valued and have significant input in decision making. I feel like none of this is possible when folks are being micromanaged and the team leader is holding the reigns too tight.

Earlier in my career, my mistakes in managing were rooted in the opposite approach—giving my direct reports too much autonomy and freedom. As a result, I experienced moments where team members felt lost or unsure of their direction and tasks failed to get completed or projects remained stuck in place. I encountered a few situations where team members took their new-found level of authority too far and decisions were made that were not in line with our overall objects. Their struggles were a direct result of my choices as a manager and I own that.

Creating a management balance has its challenges but it’s totally achievable. I think over the years I have met my team members in the middle and found a way to create a healthy work environment that is rooted in a mutual trust and respect. I strive to delegate, manage from a safe distance, hold team members accountable and empower them to make decisions and take risks. For me, this is possible by practicing the following:

• Providing clarity around a shared goal of purpose—clearly communicating the how and why so my team has the knowledge to move forward.
• Operating from a place of transparency—letting everyone know what I expect from the start.
• Developing a series of benchmarks and checkpoints for my team so they feel secure and we are all kept up to speed.
• Building an environment where autonomy and accountability make the others possible.

At the end of the day, I want my team members to view me as standing with them as opposed to on top of them or completely out of the frame. My role as a leader is one of the things I cherish most about my work and is the aspect of my job in which I take the most pride.