Tag Archives: Clearly

How Do You Coach a New Manager Who Isn’t Cutting It? Six Points

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Situation: A CEO recently hired a new high level manager. To integrate the individual into the company the original set of assignments was limited in scope – to help the manager get to know others within the company. The new manager seems to overanalyze things. Long hours are spent carefully drafting plans but there is little action. How can the CEO manage this individual without micromanaging? How do you coach a new manager who isn’t cutting it?

Advice from the CEOs:

  • It looks like this person is working long but not necessarily productive hours. This is costing you time and money – both yours and your employees. The question is whether the root cause is the individual’s behavior or your own expectations and behavior. Ask yourself the following questions:
  • Have you clearly outlined your expectations in terms of what is to be delivered, the time in which it is to be delivered, and any constraints around the projects for which this person is responsible?
  • Have you provided the necessary resources and empowered the individual to make the decisions required to bring projects to completion?
  • Have you scheduled regular update meetings with this individual and openly discussed project progress and obstacles to completion?
  • Have you set appropriate expectations with your other staff as to the authority of the new individual? Are you honoring those expectations in your own behavior?
  • If you have done these things, and the individual is not performing, then it is time to ask whether you hired the right person.

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How Do You Transition and Mix Leadership Styles? Five Points

Situation: A CEO has shepherded his company from a start-up to a viable enterprise. Early on, his management style was based on facilitation and his “likeability”. This worked well with a tight-knit team. Now the company is much bigger and he feels a need to be respected and able to act as a dominant leader when this is required rather than as a facilitative leader. How do you transition and mix leadership styles?

Advice from the CEOs:

  • What does a dominant mode of leadership entail?
    • Defining the starting point, desired end and important characteristics of the solution – then ask for input on getting there.
    • One can mix dominant behavioral modes with facilitative modes – the difference will be the focus on the end to be achieved.
  • If one were moving the opposite direction – from dominant to facilitator – one would:
    • De-entrench oneself from one’s own position.
    • Become more open to others’ ideas.
    • Change tone / words to express openness.
  • Conversely, to move from facilitative to dominant:
    • Decide what one wants to achieve and express it clearly.
    • One can remain open to the ideas of others, but make sure that the exchange is staying on topic and moving toward the desired objective.
    • Change tone / words to become more assertive.
  • How does one plan ahead to determine what one wants?
    • Review notes / priorities ahead of meetings – decide on the agenda and the objectives for the meeting.
    • Write reminder notes to ask questions or push issues that will drive the agenda.
  • Focus on the framing of the discussion – when one is being dominant the framing is more structured and determinant; when one is being facilitative the framing is more flexible and undetermined.

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How Do You Improve Communication Skills? Four Strategies

Situation: A CEO wants advice on how to strengthen his communication skills. In particular, he is concerned that occasionally his direction of subordinates is misunderstood. What are the best techniques to communicate clearly and assure that the other party understands not only the direction given, but responds positively to the way that direction is given? How do you improve your communication skills?

Advice from the CEOs:

  • When Delegating equals Empowering, this immediately eases communications.
    • In part because the empowered employee will be more at ease talking and working with the person who delegates.
    • A quick read – The One Minute Manager by Kenneth Blanchard – provides excellent techniques for communicating effectively with subordinates.
  • Before concluding any conversation involving the delegation of a task or responsibility, make sure that both the delegator and the person delegated to repeat back their understanding of the task/responsibility and what is to be accomplished.
    • When a subordinate provides information, say “Let me be sure that I understand you. What I heard was _______. Did I understand you correctly?
    • This helps assure both parties that understanding is mutual.
  • When assigning a task or responsibility to another take one of three tacks:
    • “So that we are on the same page, please repeat for me your understanding of the (task/responsibility) and the deliverables.”
    • “Based on our discussion, what do you see as the next steps? When do you anticipate that you will be able to complete them?”
    • (After the individual has demonstrated that you both have the same understanding, or any discrepancies in understanding have been cleared up) “Thanks, would you please send me an email documenting this?”
  • If a documentation hand-off is involved, go back to the broad task or objective. Ask for their understanding of what is to be accomplished and when this will be done.

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