Bob, a talented individual contributor, has recently been promoted to his first people manager role. As he takes the reins of his new team, he grapples with the dilemma of earning trust and credibility by demonstrating technical proficiency, while also empowering his team to take ownership of their work and focusing on business strategy and talent management. Should Bob demonstrate his willingness to roll up his sleeves by acting like a senior individual contributor (IC) or should he purely focus on managing the team?
Bob’s challenge is not uncommon or unique to new people managers. Throughout a decade of managing different teams in different organizations, inheriting teams, being reorged into different team permutations, upsizing and downsizing. time and again, I have faced this very dilemma myself and have witnessed other managers I have coached, managed, mentored battle with the same complexity. In this article, I used Bob’s example to demonstrate the complexities of people management and to eventually argue the case for clearly differentiating the role of a manager (as business and people management) from the role of ICs (as subject matter expertise and hands-on execution)
BOB'S CASE
FACTS:
Bob will be managing a team that performs tasks similar to those of his previous team, where he held a senior individual contributor position. However, the role description, expectations, and products of his new team are slightly different, requiring him to undergo a ramp-up process to understand their work.
The team has recently undergone a reorganization, which may have resulted in changes to team dynamics, reporting structures, or goals. This adds an additional layer of complexity to Bob's role as a people manager.
Bob's team consists of two senior individual contributors and four junior individual contributors, representing a diverse range of experience levels. Managing a team with such a mix of seniority requires Bob to tailor his approach to effectively support and develop each team member.
Performance within the team varies among its members. Bob will need to assess individual strengths and weaknesses, provide appropriate support and guidance, and implement strategies to uplift the overall performance of the team.
The organization has recently welcomed a new leader, which may introduce new expectations, strategies, or changes in direction. Bob must align his team's efforts with the vision and goals set by the new leader while ensuring continuity and stability within his team.
The team operates in a highly competitive industry where innovation and staying ahead of trends are crucial for success. Bob must navigate the fast-paced and ever-evolving landscape to ensure his team remains relevant and delivers high-quality results.
The team recently experienced the departure of their most senior member, who accepted an opportunity at another organization. This loss creates a gap in expertise and leadership within the team, placing additional responsibility on Bob to fill the void and ensure continuity in delivering exceptional results.
The team had a highly respected and beloved previous manager who built strong relationships and fostered a positive team culture. Bob faces the challenge of stepping into the shoes of their revered former manager while establishing his own leadership style and earning the team's trust and respect.
As Bob navigated these unfamiliar waters, several questions weighed on his mind, namely:
Will his team appreciate and respect him more if he rolls up his sleeves and immerses himself in the day-to-day work, or would they perceive it as micromanagement?
What might he be sacrificing by investing his time in executional tasks? Are there higher-value activities he should prioritize as a manager?
Would his team benefit more from him focusing on the big picture, developing the business strategy, and nurturing the growth of his team, or does being removed from the field create potential blind spots?
What do his superiors expect from him? Should he dedicate more time to strategy and people development, or should he prioritize helping the team achieve their targets through hands-on involvement in day-to-day operations?
Will he feel a greater sense of accomplishment by remaining hands-on, considering he loved being an individual contributor, or will he find more fulfillment in his role as a strategic people lead?
How can Bob strike the delicate balance between being involved enough to earn trust and credibility while still empowering his team and focusing on his managerial responsibilities?
How can he make sure he doesn't get burnt out if he decides to do it all?
THE DILEMMA
Different organizations have a diverse set of expectations from their people managers, emphasizing the need for a delicate balance between their executional expertise and their role in nurturing employee growth and driving results. While some organizations prioritize the technical proficiency of managers and expect them to be subject matter experts in their field, others place greater emphasis on their ability to cultivate a high-performing and engaged team.
WHY HANDS-ON EXECUTION MIGHT BE TEMPTING
a. Leading by Example: Being actively involved in hands-on execution allows people managers to lead by example, demonstrating the skills, knowledge, and work ethic they expect from their team members.
b. Maintaining Technical Proficiency: By staying involved in IC responsibilities, managers can stay up-to-date with industry trends, technologies, and best practices, enhancing their ability to make informed decisions and provide valuable guidance to their teams.
C. Building Trust and Credibility: When managers actively contribute to the execution of tasks, they gain firsthand insights into the challenges faced by their team members. This fosters trust, as employees perceive their manager as someone who understands their work and can provide meaningful support.
THE CASE FOR HANDS-OFF MANAGEMENT
While the temptation to remain involved in hands-on execution and leveraging their expertise as an IC may seem appealing to managers. the reality is that this approach can often prove to be more of a distraction than a strategic advantage.
a. Delegation and Empowerment: Effective managers know when to delegate tasks to their team members, empowering them to take ownership and develop their skills. This makes the team members feel empowered, does not duplicate job responsibilities (e.g. ICs are expected to know the field really well, managers are expected to understand the team results in aggregate and manage the overall business really well) This clear role distinction allows managers to focus on strategic planning, decision-making, and creating an environment conducive to growth and success (as opposed to micro-managing)
b. Leveraging Team Expertise: Recognizing and leveraging the unique strengths and expertise of team members can alleviate the need for managers to be hands-on in every aspect. By delegating tasks to the appropriate individuals, managers can harness the collective capabilities of their team and achieve better outcomes. Also critically, they avoid being pulled in too many directions which may lead to burnout.
c. Organizational Alignment: Managers play a crucial role in ensuring that the actions and efforts of their team align with the broader goals and strategies of the organization. By focusing on business management and avoiding excessive involvement in day-to-day operations, managers can dedicate their time and energy to ensuring that the team's activities contribute to the overall success of the organization. This alignment helps in driving efficiency, maintaining a cohesive vision, and maximizing the impact of the team's work within the larger organizational context.
d. Effective Communication: Clear and consistent communication is vital for managers to guide their teams without being excessively involved in day-to-day execution. By setting expectations, providing feedback, and ensuring open lines of communication, managers can strike a balance between overseeing progress and empowering their team members.
b. Career Advancement: Providing growth opportunities and challenging projects to team members is an essential aspect of effective people management. By creating pathways for professional development, managers can help employees acquire new skills and progress in their careers, enabling them to take on more responsibilities and freeing up managerial time.
e. Focus and Bandwidth: Focusing on managing the business strategy and team management will give the managers plenty of responsibility and tasks. It is therefore not realistic to expect them to also act as ICs. To set them up for success, it’s important that role and responsibilities (R&Rs) are aligned to bandwidth.
BACK TO BOB... 1 YEAR LATER...
As Bob embarked on his journey as a new people manager, he learned to navigate the delicate balance between managing and executing. He recognized the importance of understanding the unique dynamics of his team, given their similarities to his previous team, yet the differences in role expectations and products. Through a dedicated ramp-up process, Bob sought to gain a deep understanding of his team's work to make sure he could provide the necessary support and guidance to them.
He aligned with his manager on his expectations and consciously decided to step away from IC executional responsibilities, and instead support and coach his team members through their challenges. He made sure to stay on top of what the team was executing on and delivering by regularly attending updates, product trainings and occasionally shadowing / accompanying his team members to meetings and conferences.
Transparent and genuine communication with his team was paramount to his success. Initially he was insecure and did not want to admit to the fact that he was not a day to day expert in the field they were operating in. However, over time he learned to OWN IT - he openly admitted that they were the subject matter experts, emphasizing his role as the facilitator of smooth operations and the remover of blockers and bottlenecks. By doing so, he empowered his team to leverage their expertise to deliver exceptional results.
The arrival of a new leader in the organization along with the recent reorganization presented an opportunity for Bob to align his team's efforts with the fresh vision and goals set by this leader. By actively communicating and promoting transparency, Bob facilitated a seamless transition while keeping his team focused on achieving their objectives. He held various meetings with the new leader, some solo, some with his team, to demonstrate his team’s skillsets as well as roles and responsibilities, and emphasize the impact they drive in the wider organization. He kept the team informed about business strategy, involved them in discussions at the leadership level, and incorporated their views and input into the business plan. This approach fostered a sense of ownership and collaboration, as the team understood their integral role in driving the organization's success.
Recognizing the mix of senior and junior individual contributors within his team, Bob tailored his approach to meet the diverse needs of each team member, providing guidance, training, and development opportunities to empower their growth. To foster mentorship and leadership skills, he entrusted senior team members with increased responsibility and stretch opportunities, particularly for those aspiring to become people managers themselves.
Bob understood the significance of addressing the varying performance levels within the team. Through regular assessments, feedback, and personalized support, he aimed to uplift the overall performance, fostering an environment of continuous growth. He doubled down on his low performers by addressing the issues (e.g. will vs. skill) for the underperformance. He secured the necessary resources (e.g. extra budget for training, workshops organized and customized specifically for his team, access to new tools) to help them excel. For his top performers, he assigned stretch opportunities including cross-functional projects and more strategic responsibilities such as involvement in business planning.
As Bob continued his journey as a people manager, he remained committed to the principles of effective people leadership and strategic management, adapting and evolving his approach as needed. With a focus on building strong relationships, setting clear expectations, fostering growth, driving top performance, while communicating openly and transparently, Bob managed to create a high-performing team that thrived in the face of challenges and delivered exceptional results.
SO WHAT?
Resisting the temptation to get in there and actively do the tasks is challenging, particularly for new managers who were recently ICs. While sleeves should certainly be rolled up and tuning into the developments in the field is necessary to stay on top of the business, empowering the ICs to be the ultimate subject matter experts in and take care of the field is necessary for team leaders as it gives the team autonomy and empowerment, as well as ensures managers' time is invested into overarching business analysis and strategy and talent development.
Connect with me at leadrisecoaching@gmail.com if you are a new people manager, an aspiring team lead or a seasoned manager interested in having a chat about the people manager vs. individual contributor dilemma or other challenges managers face on a daily basis.
Feel free to download my free Leading People Playbook to gain access to valuable tools, exercises, and resources to help you succeed in managing and leading your team effectively.
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