I hope that you have had a great weekend. It`s now Monday and a new week is upon us.
How many of you got a knot in your stomach last night as you thought about your upcoming working week?
If you did, you are not alone. Here are couple of reasons why that may be the case.
Did you know:
85% of new managers do not get any training prior to becoming a manager.
59% do not feel like they are supported in their new role.
I remember my first leadership role many years ago. I had previously been a specialist and was then asked to lead the team that I was a specialist in. I remember the excitement of promotion soon turned to nervousness as I quickly realised, I was going from a team mate to their new manager.
Within the first few weeks, I naively assumed that all the team needed to do was copy what I did as a specialist, and we would all have a successful year. There were lots of communicating and lots of training, but I got limited buy in. The more I tried to control, the busier I got. It felt as if I had to do a million things each day.
Management, at that point, seemed a very lonely place. That was why the following stat resonated for me:
63% of managers still do not feel effective after six months in the job.
I sought lots of feedback and as I become more self-aware, I began to recognise that all the teams I had around me had brilliant strengths that I needed to tap into. My role as a leader began to become clearer. Everyone had talents and strengths that were different to mine, and it was now time for me to let go of control and empower others.
With over twenty years’ experience, as a leader and coach it is my core strengths of listening and ability to question that help serve both me and the people, I support each day. I realise how much I needed these qualities back then.
At the time, coaching was in its infancy, and I wished that I had a coach to help aid my self-awareness in a confidential and non-judgmental setting. By being able to talk through my challenges with somebody independent, I would have become a more effective leader more quickly. And I have no doubt I would have managed my priorities better too. This would have meant that I would approach each Monday morning like I do today, with calmness and presence.