How to invest in front-line managers

We started 2024 with new energy, fresh focus, and lots to do. 

We’ve dived in with our client partners & found ourselves reminding our community that you can’t (and shouldn’t) do it all yourself.

As a human-centric leader, it’s so important to set the tone for your team, to help channel the new-year energy into productive work & real results. But - as difficult as it may feel for passionate, over-achieving team leaders - the best way maximize success & grow impressive leaders around you is to intentionally step aside, delegate, and trust but verify.

Actively devote time & resources - invest in your front-line managers.

It’s not only the right thing to do for their growth, but a worthy investment toward freeing up your own time to focus on the bigger picture.

But what does it actually mean to invest in front-line managers?

Push managers to exercise their own judgment, so they can build confidence in their own management and vision-setting abilities, leading to stronger trust among the team and better morale overall.  

Some of the very best advice I’ve received as a team leader has been to:

1. Step aside.
   
   Make yourself replaceable.

   Pause when someone comes to you for advice.

   Fight the instinct to solve problems immediately, and instead ask - What is your recommendation?
   
   Too often lower-level leaders think in terms of: 
   “What would my manager think is the right thing to do?” versus “What do I think is the right thing to do?”
   
   Pushing newer leaders to utilize their own problem solving skills will shift the way they tackle challenges and build confidence in their own leadership abilities over time.
   

2. Delegate.
   
   Often, we see leaders who think of delegation as a black-and-white phenomenon.

   You either delegate it, or you don’t.
   
   This mindset limits the tasks & projects that can be delegated, stunts the growth of the leaders below you, and ultimately leads to a loss in productivity. It also results in you spending time on less critical tasks & projects.
   
   In reality, you should intentionally move your front-line managers through the 5 levels of delegation. Always be mindful of where they fall & when they’re ready to be challenged by the next level.

3. Trust, but verify.
   
   Use simple tools, like our staffing planner and team performance snapshot to give your front-line managers the freedom & space to manage projects and teams in the way they see fit - all while keeping lines of communication clear, and (flexible) consistency in approach across your larger team.

   These tools allow you to know:

• Are we organized?

• Are we focused?

• Are we productive?

Remember - you can do anything, but you can’t do everything.