Blogs Archives - The Management Centre https://www.managementcentre.co.uk/category/blog/ The Management Centre Tue, 12 Mar 2024 14:33:33 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.4.3 https://www.managementcentre.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/mc-favicon-100x100.gif Blogs Archives - The Management Centre https://www.managementcentre.co.uk/category/blog/ 32 32 Safe Space – I can’t stop rescuing people, and it’s making me ineffective! https://www.managementcentre.co.uk/blog/safe-space-i-cant-stop-rescuing-people-and-its-making-me-ineffective/ https://www.managementcentre.co.uk/blog/safe-space-i-cant-stop-rescuing-people-and-its-making-me-ineffective/#respond Fri, 08 Mar 2024 11:20:53 +0000 https://www.managementcentre.co.uk/?p=7246 Welcome to the Safe Space – where managers can share their issues, and gain advice from top learning & development consultants. Here at =mc we encourage every participant we meet on our programmes to get in touch if they have specific issues they want to follow up on. From this we hear some common problems, […]

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Welcome to the Safe Space – where managers can share their issues, and gain advice from top learning & development consultants.

Here at =mc we encourage every participant we meet on our programmes to get in touch if they have specific issues they want to follow up on. From this we hear some common problems, issues, challenges, and worries. In this regular feature, we share some of those challenges, and our advice, for dealing with them.

This month we respond to a very busy HR manager, who is being pulled in different directions.

What’s the issue

Hello =mc team,

I hope this email finds you well. I work as an HR manager in a small animal welfare charity, and while I genuinely care about our people (and the animals!). I’ve found myself in a bit of a predicament. It seems that instead of supporting our managers to handle people issues themselves, I’ve become somewhat of a “rescuer.” Whenever there’s a problem with an employee, big or small, the managers tend to come to me rather than dealing with it themselves. The employees do it too: they ask me for questions, permissions, or decisions that really their manager should deal with.

Now, don’t get me wrong, I love my job and I’m happy to be helpful. But lately, it’s become overwhelming. I’m constantly being pulled away from more strategic HR tasks because I’m busy dealing with day-to-day issues. I have a couple of really big projects that have stalled, because I can’t get to them. It’s all a bit circular too – for example, if I don’t get a new HRIS sorted out, I can’t make our processes better, and therefore people will keep coming to me for help. I also can’t delegate – I have a part time HR administrator and we don’t have the funds for me to hire an advisor or business partner.

The thing is, I know our managers are busy too and they genuinely appreciate me. We’re all very close because we all care a lot about the work our charity does. I don’t want to complain or upset people yet I can’t help but feel stuck in this rescuer role and I want to be able to focus on initiatives that will truly benefit our organisation in the long run, rather than constantly putting out fires.

Do you have any advice on how I can get our managers to take more ownership? I want to support them in developing their leadership skills and becoming more self-sufficient, but I’m not sure how to approach the situation without coming across as dismissive of their concerns. I appreciate any guidance you can offer.

Sincerely, Feeling Stuck in Rescuing

What our consultants say:

Yvette

Hello busy HR Manager. I totally feel you! I have been there myself. Being a manager with little admin or operational support means you become accountable for the day-to-day essentials as well as the big stuff. It can be super tempting to stay in that rescuer mode too when it makes you feel validated and useful. However as you have said, your time would be better spent and more impactful if you could step back and look up a bit. Perhaps start with creating some consistency by setting expectations around key processes. Establish a structured framework for addressing people issues within your charity. This could include clear policies and procedures outlining the steps managers should take when faced with various HR-related challenges. Consider the questions employees ask and how this information could be made more easily available. Start with relatively straightforward issues and build from there. This could be a good project for your HR Admin to help you on too. So that you don’t lose the supportive element, you could then designate certain slots or meetings where managers can drop in and talk about specific issues. You could gently remind them to prepare for these. I did something similar in my previous life in HR, whereby I had a series of catch-up meetings with each manager (one or two a week was all I needed to get around them all in rotation). This meant that non-urgent issues could be stored for those conversations and eventually managers began to answer their own questions before I even got to our meeting. By creating boundaries and a framework, you encourage managers to take ownership while still providing them with a sense of support and care. You also get to ringfence the time you need for your bigger tasks.

Philly

Dear HR Manager, thanks so much for writing in. This is a common issue, I hear it from so many people we work with so you are not alone. I think it’s lovely that you care so much about the cause and your people. I would hate to see you lose that. However, being pulled in so many directions can be really hard and take a strain on your own well-being too, so it’s really important to find a balance that works for you, and get help where you need it. I know you can’t delegate but could you outsource? This could give you a way to rescue them by letting someone else do the work. If you looked at the most common issues your managers bring to you, is there a pattern? For example, topics such as conflict resolution, performance management, absence management, career development and effective communication? If so, you could look for training sessions or workshops specifically designed to enhance these skills. These could then be adapted to bring to life the frameworks Yvette has suggested. You’d then be able to refer them back to their training with each new ‘fire’ that they bring to you. If budgets are tight, curate resources that are freely available online. Provide them with resources like video content for handling common people issues autonomously. By investing in their development, you can empower them to tackle these situations confidently without always needing to rely on you for assistance.

Several stones balanced on top of each other with a beach and wavy sea in the background, as well as blue sky.

Rachel

Oh dear, I’m really sorry HR Manager, I may have been one of these people in my former management role! When I worked as a fundraising manager, I really valued the help I got from HR. It was so reassuring! But I can tell you from experience it is also really satisfying when I could be more independent and solve the issues or questions that came up in my team myself. The big change I went through was learning to take more of a coaching approach with my team, and I can see in hindsight that my HR colleagues did the same with me over time. Coaching enables you to foster a culture where managers are encouraged to take responsibility and also feel more confident to do it alone. You can back this up by recognising and celebrating instances where managers successfully handle people issues on their own. Where you find that managers still want you to get involved, or where you may get dragged into something, you can also use coaching as a teaching moment to reinforce the importance of autonomy and proactive problem-solving. You could also set up a managers meeting as a networking opportunity for them to coach each other. This way they hear other experiences (building consistency) and coach each other (building accountability). Help by giving them simple open questions they can use: what is at the heart of this issue? When have you experienced something similar? What went well? What might you have done differently in hindsight? What does that mean for your current situation? What action can you take? If you do this alongside the advice from Yvette and Philly, you can gradually shift the dynamics between you and the management group. Empowering managers to become more self-sufficient in handling people issues while allowing you to focus on more strategic HR initiatives is ultimately in the best interest of your charity.

What’s next?

If you’d like to explore ways of handling for situations like this, contact us online or call 020 7978 1516 to discuss similar challenges and how we might be able to help.

If you’d like some advice on in the next issue of the Safe Space, email us on safespace@managementcentre.co.uk. Whilst we can’t promise to publish all the requests we receive, we will offer advice by email as a minimum.

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You step up – I’ll step back: the coaching approach to becoming a leader https://www.managementcentre.co.uk/learning-development/step-ill-step-back-coaching-approach-becoming-leader/ https://www.managementcentre.co.uk/learning-development/step-ill-step-back-coaching-approach-becoming-leader/#respond Thu, 07 Mar 2024 09:37:43 +0000 http://themc.wpengine.com/?p=3660 =mc Director Laura Slater blogs on the benefits of using the ‘coach approach’ with your teams. Here at =mc we know that stepping into leadership is a big deal. As you become more senior in an organisation, an exciting aspect of moving up is being able to actually set the direction for your team or department – […]

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=mc Director Laura Slater blogs on the benefits of using the ‘coach approach’ with your teams.

Here at =mc we know that stepping into leadership is a big deal. As you become more senior in an organisation, an exciting aspect of moving up is being able to actually set the direction for your team or department – and the organisation.

However, this is not easy to do. A big challenge experienced by participants on our leadership courses is that they continue to find themselves getting sucked into day to day operational tasks, rather than focussing on the more strategic elements of their work. Often there is no time left to progress these bigger picture items.

So how do we create opportunities to step back and give ourselves the time and headspace we need to lead?

One of the most powerful solutions to this conundrum is to adopt a coaching approach with your staff, where you focus on asking questions to help them find a solution, rather than telling them what to do. This helps to build your confidence in their capability, and their confidence in themselves to solve problems. They then feel enabled to sort things out with much less – and even, in some cases – no input from you.

 

For example, an experienced team member comes to you and asks how to find out a crucial piece of information. Traditionally you might either:

A. Give them the answer they need so they can get on. 

Or

B. Realise it will be quicker and easier if you do it yourself, and take the task on for them. 

If you chose A then you are one of life’s Guru’s, helping and supporting others with their queries. If you feel you prefer B then you are a Rescuer for your team, taking on those things you feel could be done quicker or better by yourself.

While both these approaches support your team, it also means they are dependant on you for solutions to problems, clarity on queries and sign-off for activities. And you are forever stuck in the day-to-day.

Using coaching, on the other hand, means you draw out the skills and knowledge of others – and they learn to think for themselves. This is the basis of John Whitmore’s GROW model, which we use with managers and leaders. Rather than giving someone the solution straight away, ask questions, help them to reflect and think through the problem. That way they develop the skills to come up with their own answer.

If we go back to our earlier example, using a coaching approach you would:

C. Ask your team member to list options, including how they might find out the information they need. Follow this up by prompting them to consider which of option would be best.

The benefits of a coaching approach are:

  1. It promotes a learning organisation by enabling new solutions to be put into action.
  2. It promotes individual learning by putting learning into the hands of learner. People become self-reliant and own their successes.
  3. It promotes engagement and retention by empowering teams to put in place their own solutions.

And finally the big advantage for you is that saves time by helping your team members to take on more. They step up – you step back. And now you have the space to focus on the bigger picture.

Want to know more?

Our leadership or coaching programmes – available in-house – will provide you with practical tools and techniques to develop a range of leadership skills or focus on developing your confidence as an effective coach. Call us on 020 7978 1516 to discuss options, or view our management and leadership training programmes online.

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I’m Ok, You’re Ok – Assertiveness at work explained https://www.managementcentre.co.uk/insights/assertiveness-at-work-explained/ https://www.managementcentre.co.uk/insights/assertiveness-at-work-explained/#comments Tue, 06 Feb 2024 14:00:25 +0000 https://www.managementcentre.co.uk/?p=5340 Being assertive at work can be really hard, and this is something many people struggle with. Our insecurities, perceived weaknesses, motivations and goals can all stop us from being assertive when we need to be. In this article, Charlotte Scott explains why we need assertiveness, what it actually is, and how to be assertive. Why […]

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Being assertive at work can be really hard, and this is something many people struggle with. Our insecurities, perceived weaknesses, motivations and goals can all stop us from being assertive when we need to be. In this article, Charlotte Scott explains why we need assertiveness, what it actually is, and how to be assertive.

Why we need assertiveness

Assertiveness is a communication skill, and displaying assertiveness is essential to working with others. Being assertive enables you to put forward your ideas, thoughts and opinions by expressing yourself effectively. It also helps to earn others’ respect and boost your self-esteem.

You have probably encountered assertive people who are able to navigate difficult situations calmly and professionally, deflecting others anger and frustration with diplomacy and confidence. This level of assertiveness helps to achieve results, solve problems and build good relationships with others. It’s a useful skill we should all aim to develop.

Understanding Assertiveness

Many people don’t understand what assertiveness truly is. They think it is only about putting their opinions forward and speaking up.

Assertiveness is actually an interplay between how we communicate and how we treat the other person in the conversation.

The I’m Ok, You’re Ok model created by Thomas Anthony Harris, brings this balance to life:

IOKYOK matrix

I’m ok means I respect myself and feel confident to put forward my thoughts and opinions.

I’m not ok means I don’t feel able to express myself or my ideas.

You’re ok means I respect you, I am interested in your perspective and want to hear it.

You’re not ok means I’m not respecting you, and don’t value your ideas.

 

The results of this balancing act are:

Aggressive: I’m ok – you’re not ok

People sometimes believe that speaking up is the same as being bossy, pushy, or disrespectful of other people. When we take this aggressive approach, we’re enabling our voice to be heard, but we’re not respecting or listening to the other person.

We can display aggression by talking over people, exaggerating and overstating our point, or using words to belittle the other person or their idea in a way that can be easily dismissed.

Aggressive behaviour is selfish, rude and controlling, it shuts down the conversation. Whilst you might win the conversation you have not actually won-over the other person and will have damaged the relationship.

Result: winning the conversation, losing the relationship

Passive: I’m not ok – you’re ok

Being passive means that you’re not respecting yourself and so are not willing to put forward your ideas and thoughts. While at the same time you’re allowing the other person to express themselves.

 

Sometimes we become passive because we don’t want to be seen as pushy, or because we don’t believe our voice is valued, for example when speaking with a more senior person. When we act passively, we might understate how we’re feeling, use humour to deflect the situation, or steer the conversation to something safer.

By taking this approach true dialogue doesn’t happen so your vital perspective is lost. Being unable to share your opinion can also lead to stress, frustration or at worst burnout.

Result: losing yourself, allowing others to win

Passive-Aggressive: I’m not ok – you’re not ok

People often think they are being passive, when actually they are being passive-aggressive. Being passive-aggressive means that you are not respecting yourself by being honest about your point of view, but you are also showing subtly that the other person is in the wrong. Passive-aggressive behaviour makes both you and the other person feel bad.

We can display this when we feel wronged, but not able to solve the situation. When we act passive-aggressively we might use words to agree with the other person, but show our unhappiness through our tone of voice, facial expression or negative body language. We might display grumpy, sulky or moody behaviour. We might ignore others’ comments or not follow-through on agreed tasks.

Passive aggressive

These indirect expressions of hostility make those around us feel very uncomfortable. Over time we will be seen as unreasonable and unprofessional. As problems and issues aren’t solved, our resentment and feelings of powerlessness can grow.

Result: everybody loses 

Assertive: I’m ok – you’re ok

Being assertive means that you respect yourself enough to put forward your thoughts and suggestions, whilst also respecting the other person and their point of view. You are communicating directly and honestly as well as being kind and likeable.

When you’re assertive, you talk openly about what you need. You might not always get what you want, but by listening to others and by having the courage to speak candidly and respectfully, your calm and agreeable style will earn others’ respect.

Because assertiveness is based on mutual respect, it’s an effective and diplomatic approach. It allows us to cooperate, to understand both points of view and ideally to resolve conflict by finding an outcome that suits us both.

Result: it’s not about winning, its about outcomes for everyone

success high five

How to be assertive in five steps:

Learning to be assertive takes time, self-control and confidence. Follow these five steps to develop your assertiveness skills:

  1. Be curious about the other person’s point of view. Even if they are not acting professionally, they will have reasons for their behaviour or opinion. Ask open questions and really listen to understand what they have to say. If people are being unreasonable, listening to their needs and expectations can be really challenging. But if you ensure they feel listened to and respected, the conversation can shift to a more positive dialogue.
  2. Speak up and express yourself. People can’t read your mind, so be honest and specific. Use “I” language to avoid sounding critical. For example: “I have another suggestion” rather than “You’re wrong”. Or “I noticed the deadline wasn’t met” instead of “You didn’t meet the deadline”. If you have a hard time turning down requests, learn to say no, not yet, or not now. Saying no is not selfish, it shows you are able to prioritise and can set healthy limits. Remember, every time you say yes to something you are saying no to something else. Saying no therefore also enables you to say yes to the things that matter most. Explain your perspective and ask for help if needed. Keep any explanations short and simple.
  3. Watch your tone: It not just what you say but how you say it. Keep your tone of voice and body language open and warm. You don’t want your message to get lost because people are reacting to your delivery. We read a great deal into the way something is said, not just the words people use. When you are preparing for an assertive interaction, think ahead about your body language and how you can show you are OK and so are they. Pay particular attention to your facial expressions, arms and posture.
  4. Think win-win: don’t assume the other person is aiming to undermine or belittle you. Even if they are, don’t sink to their level, don’t treat them badly, and don’t withdraw from the conversation. Build on their ideas rather than dismissing them. Offer potential solutions and ask the other person to help you shape an answer that works for both of you. Work together on the challenge or issue, exploring it from all sides, finding common ground and a way forward that deals with both of your concerns.
  5. Respond, don’t react: if you find yourself feeling strong and unhelpful emotions in an interaction, it can be really hard to stay assertive. Take a deep breath, pause and think. Your feelings and emotions are entirely valid, however assertiveness means not allowing those feelings to drive your behaviour.

Summary

Thinking I’m Ok, You’re Ok will keep you assertive no matter how difficult the conversation. You might not always get exactly what you want, but your pride and self-respect won’t be damaged. And you will build a reputation for being confident, professional and great to work with.

What’s next?

To find out more about the I’m Ok, You’re Ok model and other ways we can help you improve assertiveness at work contact us online or call 020 7978 1516.

We also explore issues around self-confidence and assertiveness on the half-day Assertive Conversations training programme.

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Leadership Development – bringing the team together https://www.managementcentre.co.uk/blog/leadership-development-bringing-the-team-together/ https://www.managementcentre.co.uk/blog/leadership-development-bringing-the-team-together/#respond Thu, 25 Jan 2024 17:22:56 +0000 https://www.managementcentre.co.uk/?p=7194 In this interview, Rebecca Cooper, Head of People and Development at ACT Training shares her experience of what effective leadership development looks like in action. ACT Training provides a wide range of fully-funded training programmes for individuals and employers in Wales. Their mission to improve lives through learning stands side by side with our own […]

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Rebecca Cooper, Head of People and Development at ACT Training

In this interview, Rebecca Cooper, Head of People and Development at ACT Training shares her experience of what effective leadership development looks like in action.

ACT Training provides a wide range of fully-funded training programmes for individuals and employers in Wales. Their mission to improve lives through learning stands side by side with our own at =mc, so of course we were thrilled when they got in touch about working together.

=mc: Thanks so much for taking the time to talk to us Rebecca, and for sharing your feedback. Tell us about what prompted you to commission training for your senior leadership team? What did you want to see change?

Rebecca: ACT had gone through a period of change in terms of ownership and leadership and there had also been some new additions to the Senior Leadership Team (SLT). This resulted in a team with very mixed experience of leadership causing some friction and frustrations. We were looking for a programme to develop the leadership skills and philosophy of the team. It also needed to enable them to work more effectively as a team to achieve our business goals.

=mc: What was the learning experience like once you were in the room?

Rebecca: Engaging, lively with lots of discussion and well thought out activities. It also felt like a safe space for members of the team to be honest about frustrations and barriers.

ACT Training’s SLT on an away day – photo courtesy of ACT Training

 

=mc: Yes, and it’s so important that these minor issues are aired, and don’t end up causing rifts. Working through them in a facilitated space is a powerful way of bringing groups together. We see this a lot in the training room! Now thinking about your experience as a participant in the training, what were your lightbulb moments and key takeaways? Can you share an example of how you have been putting these ideas into practice since then? 

Rebecca: For me this was designing and agreeing our purpose as an SLT and how we work with the Board of Directors. This was a key outcome we needed from the programme. We were all guilty of prioritising the needs of our own departmental teams. At times, this went against the needs of the SLT and the business as a whole.

Defining our purpose has enabled us to see ourselves as a team. We understand how we can support each other whilst meeting the needs of our teams. There is agreement on how we need to work to achieve this and our overall business goals.

Another benefit from the experience was developing our personal and professional relationships with one another. This has noticeably reduced friction between us. As part of this process, we agreed areas of autonomy and delegation with board members. We are clear on where we can make decisions and where we need board sign off. This has directly improved efficiency in decision making.

=mc: That’s really interesting. Defining boundaries and setting expectations also removes the risk of disappointment or misconceptions. It helps avoid the ‘too many cooks’ challenge when everyone in the room has senior level authority. What have you seen from other members of the SLT since the programme?

Rebecca: I’ve seen increased confidence in colleagues and greatly improved relationships amongst the team as a whole.

 

=mc: You should be really proud of this result! Great example of the impact that a development programme can have when you’re clear what results are important to you. Now you’ve done the training, and it’s back to business as usual, what one piece of advice would you give to other leaders?

Rebecca: Taking a step back and some time to look at an SLT’s purpose, behaviours and ways of working is important. We all find it difficult to find the time to consider these things and focus on our own development as leaders. It’s not surprising when we consider the hectic nature of running a business day to day. But by taking time out and investing in this thinking, the team can grow in confidence and greatly improve efficiency of decision making.

 

=mc: Tell us about the process of working with The Management Centre – how did that partnership start? How did it develop? 

Rebecca: I came across The Management Centre (=mc) online by chance when I was looking at development options for our SLT. I originally enquired about a programme no longer offered but was guided onto a call with Director Charlie Scott.

She listened to our needs and helped to unpick some of our challenges. We discussed which elements of =mc’s training would best meet these needs and how they might be delivered.

Charlie proposed a bespoke leadership programme for our SLT. Over the next few months we went back and forth on content, making sure we had buy-in from all members of the SLT. During this time I also met with another =mc Director, Laura Slater. Laura developed the programme further with us, refining and shaping the sessions according to our needs.

After the programme was delivered, we worked together again, designing a facilitated session with the Board.

=mc: Was there anything that surprised you about the process of working with us?

Rebecca: The knowledge of the trainer in terms of leadership in various organisations and sectors. This was something the team really appreciated in order to get a more rounded view of leadership theory and how it works in practice.

Laura Slater, =mc Director standing in front of a flip chart while delivering training.

Laura Slater, =mc Director delivering training © The Management Centre Learning

 

=mc: Would you do anything differently if you worked with us again?

Rebecca: Not really, we had nothing but good feedback.

 

=mc: How are things developing since the training?

Rebecca: We are utilising our purpose and ways of working as well as levels of autonomy and delegation with the board of directors. Relationships are going from strength to strength and we are in the process of developing a system we can use to measure and provide feedback to each other on agreed SLT behaviours.

 

=mc: What advice would you give to someone else in your position looking to address a similar training need?

Rebecca: Speak to The Management Centre and discuss your needs. They listened to our situation carefully, asking deliberate questions to help define our specific needs. I appreciated the curiosity they showed in finding the right solution for our situation without making it a hard sell. They have been very flexible with us and have tailored the training to meet our needs.

 

=mc: Thanks again Rebecca for sharing your experience. There are no doubt plenty of other leaders going through similar challenges with their own SLT who will find this useful.

What’s next?

If you’d like to talk to us about leadership development, contact us online or call 020 7978 1516 to speak to one of our consultants.

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Which is best – online or face-to-face training? https://www.managementcentre.co.uk/blog/which-is-best-online-or-face-to-face-training/ https://www.managementcentre.co.uk/blog/which-is-best-online-or-face-to-face-training/#respond Thu, 14 Dec 2023 12:43:37 +0000 https://www.managementcentre.co.uk/?p=7113 Online learning was pushed into the spotlight a few years ago out of necessity. Since then, many of our customers still choose to develop their teams via a virtual classroom. Where face to face training has all the known benefits of physically being in the same learning environment, online opens up access to those in […]

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Online learning was pushed into the spotlight a few years ago out of necessity. Since then, many of our customers still choose to develop their teams via a virtual classroom. Where face to face training has all the known benefits of physically being in the same learning environment, online opens up access to those in different locations, as well as offering many accessibility options. So which is best for your people – online or face to face training?

 

The answer to which training format is best is… it depends! It depends on what you are looking to achieve with your training – the change you want it to make for the participants and your organisation. In this blog, we’ll take you through some key points to help you figure out what would work best for your people.

There are some features that all training should have:

  • It should be interactive – not just a lecture. Participants need to be engaged and active participants in their learning.
  • It should be memorable – not just interesting. Participants need to connect to the learning through an emotion – inspiration, confidence, fun.
  • It should be relevant – not just a tick box. Participants need to be able to use their learning and transfer it to their real work.
  • It should be practical – not just an idea. Participants should have the opportunity to apply new ideas and practice in a space that allows for experimentation.

Which format delivers these best – online or face-to-face training?

Group of female work colleagues having a serious discussion at a table

 

The joy of face-to-face learning

We love meeting people, in rooms, in person. We’re trainers after all, and interacting with people is a massive motivation for doing this work. But training is not for, or about the trainer. It’s for and about the participant, their work, their stakeholders, and their organisational mission. So, why should you opt for face-to-face training?

Working with colleagues and peers in a classroom is an energising, engaging and enjoyable experience. Being in a dedicated learning space removes the group from their day-to-day work distractions, enabling them to focus and enrich their knowledge, skills and abilities. They will discuss their own examples and realities, hearing from others around them to shape their thinking, and share experiences. They can experiment with new approaches – trying things out and giving it a go.

Crucially, coming together is a great opportunity to build relationships with their colleagues, developing a network of ongoing support and breaking down silos, collaborating and solving problems together.

This kind of training works really well with:

  • Team development programmes where you are looking for relationship building as a core outcome
  • Bespoke and tailored learning programmes to directly address specific needs
  • Modular development programmes, enabling participants to continue to come together at regular intervals and share learning at multiple events

Ultimately, this is a bonding experience, where participants discuss and share their ideas. Having tactile reminders of the day helps too. As does some catering or snacks!

The freedom of online learning

We love it when participants make time, space and energy for their learning. People spend a lot of time online – in meetings, commuting, producing work and even shopping or entertaining themselves. Screen fatigue and being always-on can be a huge challenge for many people. So, why should you opt for your training to be online too?

Woman sat at desk gesticulating at a computer screen while talking to a group of people on a work video call

Online learning can be easier for participants to access. Without the travel time, or physical challenges of getting into a specific location, an online space can be more accommodating for people. There are also built in accessibility options that participants can activate themselves – such as live captioning and screen readers.

Working online enables flexible learning and to work with colleagues and peers in different ways. Using breakout rooms gives participants a confidential, quiet space to speak freely about the challenges that they are facing and their ideas for making changes to the way that they work. Online learning also encourages plenty of personal reflection, enabling everyone to apply tools and ask questions as they go.

Crucially, working online means the only equipment your participants will need is a device where you can view documents, connect to the web, and use a camera and mic. Participants will be able to learn from anywhere. Our online learning days are shorter, in order to avoid screen fatigue, fitting into busy schedules.

This kind of training works really well with:

  • Training that requires personal reflection, confidentiality, and discussion
  • Bite size and shorter workshops, either as standalone training events or as a series of linked modules
  • Personal skills development courses for small or large groups
  • Dispersed teams and groups who are located in different regions, areas or even time zones

Ultimately, this is a developmental experience, where participants reflect on their work challenges and have time to really think through the actions they can take. Having digital, visual reminders helps, as does having regular screen breaks.

The headaches of hybrid

With both options presenting some great benefits, then surely the answer is blending the two together – with some participants in a room together with the facilitator, and some joining online from the comfort of their own space. Well, again, it depends…

Hybrid learning can of course bring together the best of both. It can also create a situation where you get the worst of both: set up issues, logistics problems, connection issues (both Wi-Fi and human) and fatigue.

To make hybrid learning work there are some additional considerations:

  • More facilitators: there are after all two spaces working together simultaneously
  • Technology: enabling fully interactive and integrated working
  • Managing distractions: ensuring both groups are able to fully immerse themselves in the event

Therefore another way to combine these options is to have multiple learning events, with a mix of coming together sessions, and reflective online sessions.

What’s next?

When deciding which option is best for you, weigh up the outcomes you are trying to achieve (personal development, team connection, skills and application) with the practical realities you are facing (budget, logistics, technology, capacity and scheduling).

If you want to find out more about what our virtual and in-person classroom experiences are like contact us online or call 020 7978 1516 to speak to one of our Learning & Development consultants. You can also watch this video about learning in our online classroom to get a sense of what to expect.

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Management essentials – how to delegate effectively https://www.managementcentre.co.uk/learning-development/effective-delegation/ https://www.managementcentre.co.uk/learning-development/effective-delegation/#respond Sun, 03 Dec 2023 11:22:52 +0000 https://www.managementcentre.co.uk/?p=5447 Being a manager means taking on more responsibilities and also letting go of others. However, as much as we know delegation is a good thing – we still struggle to do it well. Delegation provides your team with learning opportunities, development projects, balances workload and gives room for new insights. As a manager though you […]

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Being a manager means taking on more responsibilities and also letting go of others. However, as much as we know delegation is a good thing – we still struggle to do it well. Delegation provides your team with learning opportunities, development projects, balances workload and gives room for new insights. As a manager though you may be reluctant to overload people, to let go of tasks that you enjoy, or to invest the time in showing someone the ropes.

The price of deciding to do everything yourself because it’s ‘quicker than explaining what’s needed to someone else’ can cause delays in processes and projects, extra cost and huge stress – not just for you but for your team. So learning to delegate well is an essential skill for managers.

Effective delegation

Effective delegation is not simply about handing over a task. It’s about understanding the competence and commitment of the person you want to delegate to – how experienced are they at doing this work? Have they ever done anything like this before? How signed up are they to the task? Only then do you know what responsibility you can give that person to do the task, and how much authority it’s reasonable to let them assume.

So, what’s the difference between responsibility and authority in this context?

  • Responsibility is an individual’s commitment to act on something that they accept they should deal with.
  • Authority is the power to do something without first obtaining permission from another person.

Few managers have a challenge with what responsibility they are handing over with a task. “It’s up to you, Ahmed, to ensure the data collection is completed by the end of the month.” “Maggie, it’s your job to come up with the implementation plan.”

Where new managers are more likely to fall down is in being clear about what authority they are handing over with the responsibility. Can Ahmed pull in other members of staff to help him complete the data collection without asking for permission? Can he move the deadline? Can Maggie employ an external consultant to work with her on the implementation plan without asking for permission? Will the plan be for her to sign off? In other words, what level of authority do Ahmed and Maggie have?

Levels of authority

There are five levels of authority you can delegate, ranging from Level 1 – assigning actions with no authority, to Level 5 – do whatever you need to do to get this done. We go through each level in more detail below.

Level 1

Here are the actions. They need to be completed by the deadline. Do you have any questions?

What it means:

As a manager you are holding onto the authority, and giving responsibility for closed, tightly-defined tasks. You need to agree the timescale as part of the delegation and ensure the task is understood.

Example

“Katy, go and talk to the donor within the next week and find out exactly what happened when they called to make a donation. Just listen, don’t make excuses for us. Come back and tell me what she says straight away. Once I know what happened, I’ll decide how we should respond the same day you report back. Do you have any questions?”

Level 2

Identify the actions you want to take and why. Send them to me by this deadline. I will review them. When I approve, take action.

What it means:

As a manager you are handing over some responsibility not only to explore the issue, but to define what options exist to take the tasks forward. However, you hold on to the responsibility to decide which option to take. You need to agree the timescale as part of the delegation.

Example

“Max, we need to improve the supply chain for food parcels reaching the refugee camp. By the end of the month, let me see a list of options for how we might make improvements. Tell me which one you’re recommending and why. I will decide whether or not we should implement it. I’ll need a day to think it through.”

Level 3

Let me know what you intend to do. I will review your decision by this deadline. Take action after the deadline unless I say otherwise.

What it means

As a manager you are saying “keep me informed and I will flag any issues with you.” It gets harder for you at this point to tread the fine line between giving the person room to manoeuvre, while also ensuring as best you can that they don’t fail. It’s possible to avoid the latter if you agree key points in the timescale, when you need updates on progress and where you might say “no.”

Example

“Josef, I’m really happy with the reports you have been producing. I don’t need to see drafts for any standard cases. However, if something new happens or we have an incident, then I do need to see those before the reports are finalised. Keep me updated on your progress and if you need me to review give me three days’ notice. I’ll take a look in that timeframe and if I have any concerns or suggestions, I’ll let you know.

Level 4

Go ahead as and when you see fit. Let me know what you did and how it went afterwards.

What it means:

As a manager you are delegating responsibility for the task and giving the person the authority to take any action they deem necessary to complete it. Your interest in finding out how they went about doing the task after the event is partly because you are still ultimately accountable for the success or failure of the task or project. And partly so you can help them reflect on their actions and take learning for the future.

Example

“Monika, take the lead on the cross-county action group. You’ll be representing us in the project outcomes meeting. I’ve scheduled a catch up for after the meeting, so we can review what you did.”

Level 5

Go ahead as and when you see fit. No further contact with me is required.

What it means:

Before you use Level 5 just do a quick check to make sure you are not simply abdicating responsibility. At this level, you are handing over both responsibility and authority for the whole project/task. Be very sure it is appropriate. This level can be seen as allocating the task to the person, as a task fully within their remit.

Example

“Alex, the client is all yours. Good luck.”

How to decide

So how do you decide which level of authority is the most appropriate to delegate for the person and the situation?

There are three key factors to consider:

Competence and commitment

Does the person you are delegating to have the right skills and experience to be able to carry out the task or project wholly without your input or will they need help? The key to delegation is assessing this correctly. If you delegate at too high a level, you will set people up to fail; if you delegate at too low a level, you will make too little use of the talents and abilities of your people, and they will feel unduly restricted.

Timeframe

Is there time available for learning or experimentation in carrying out the task or project? If time is short, even the most experienced and committed person will need a clearly defined framework to work to.

Risk

What is at stake if this project or task goes wrong? Some projects are high risk because failure will be very public (a mix-up over the arrangements for a large event; a poor quality annual report) or because there are high stakes (a major new contract with a new customer; a funding opportunity you can’t afford to lose). It’s advisable to specify success criteria in these cases – further if the team or individual is less experienced.

What’s Next?

If you’ve found this article helpful and you would like more information, please call +44 (0)20 7978 1516 or email yvette@managementcentre.co.uk and speak to one of our experienced learning and development consultants.

For training on effective delegation as well as a toolbox of essential management skills, take a look at our Emerging Managers programme. You’ll discover a range of tools and processes to ensure your team are performing at their best.

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Can managers still learn from Adair fifty years on? https://www.managementcentre.co.uk/blog/can-managers-still-learn-from-adair-fifty-years-on/ https://www.managementcentre.co.uk/blog/can-managers-still-learn-from-adair-fifty-years-on/#respond Thu, 19 Oct 2023 08:55:58 +0000 https://www.managementcentre.co.uk/?p=7036 John Adair’s Action-Centred Leadership is a classic leadership model, first shared in 1973[i]. It’s used widely in management development to help managers get to grips with the multiple responsibilities that they need. A lot has changed over the last fifty years, and the situations we face as managers feel increasingly complex. Is this model still […]

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John Adair’s Action-Centred Leadership is a classic leadership model, first shared in 1973[i]. It’s used widely in management development to help managers get to grips with the multiple responsibilities that they need. A lot has changed over the last fifty years, and the situations we face as managers feel increasingly complex. Is this model still relevant?

What the model says

Adair was one of the first to say that leadership is what you do (the actions you take) rather than a trait or personality quirk. Therefore, anyone, in any role, can learn how to be a great leader.

For managers, this is particularly important: managers are often promoted because they are excellent at the core purpose of their role – the tasks that they do. By being an expert, it follows that managers can and should help to develop others to be the same. However, Adair noted that being a great manager means more than being a task expert: you also have to be a people expert. In fact, you don’t even need to be an expert of all the tasks that your team need to excel at; they can be their own experts. For you to succeed as a great manager, you need to develop your leadership skills.

To illustrate the key areas needed to lead your team effectively, the model uses three overlapping circles as per the diagram below:

A ven diagram showing three intersecting circles representing John Adair's leadership model. The circle at the top represents the task, the circle at the bottom left represent the team and the circle at the bottom right represents the individual.

  • The circle at the top represents the task – what your team needs to do to achieve a goal
  • The circle on the bottom left represent the team –actions that ensure the team works effectively together
  • The circle on the bottom right represents the individual – how you build a relationship with each member of the team to address their unique needs

As a manager, we need to have a command of all three areas as they are mutually dependent – take away one element and it will have an impact on the other two areas.

Let’s have a look at each area in turn.

Task

This is all about identifying the tasks that need to be done, outlining priorities and ensuring that they can be achieved. It involves creating plans and budgets, allocating resources and monitoring and reviewing: ‘did we achieve what we set out to achieve?’

Whilst the tasks we are doing may have evolved over the last fifty years, it’s still just as important that we are able to deliver what we set out to do. Working in mission-driven organisations, the tasks we’re setting out to achieve need to have an impact in the wider world. As managers, we need to help our teams connect the mounting to-do lists to the wider change we’re seeking to make. Tasks are strategic. Even if the ways in which we work have evolved a great deal.

This means, as well as considering what we’re doing, we need to think about how we are achieving our goals. We need to consider what the potential unintended consequences of our work could be and ensure that we stop those from happening. For example, the work that is happening in some charities about power inequality, and how to empower the global majority and marginalised groups of people. If we are to change the way we deliver our missions, we need innovation and creativity. This will require a new way of imagining our work, and so we need diverse thinking. Therefore we need to consider our Team.

Team

It’s a key part of a manager’s role to build an inclusive team who work effectively together. This might mean considering how the team communicates with each other, works together with other teams and resolves conflict if it arises.

Technology has changed the way we communicate and share information, and this has particularly accelerated over the last few years. Working in a hybrid way, with more people working from home or from different bases, can mean people experience more disconnect and isolation. And yet, very few people can deliver their work or reach their goals entirely on their own. Therefore, it’s crucial for managers to find creative ways to bring people together. We need to foster connection both within teams and with colleagues across the organisation. This creates a sense of belonging and inclusion for each individual within the team. One that is so much more than a ‘nice to have’ feature of team culture.

A team that feels connected and safe is one where people share information readily. They are not protective over their own ideas or success. They can hold honest conversations and point out when things are not going well. They can innovate without fear of blame or ridicule if experiments don’t work out. However, this doesn’t mean that the manager needs to treat everyone in the team in exactly the same way. Instead, we need to consider the Individual.

Individual

Each person is unique and therefore we need to understand what it is that person needs for them to be at their best and deliver in their role. This involves building a relationship with that person, so that you can find out what they are looking for from work. You can then explore what might help them achieve that. This is still as relevant as it always was – without great people, we aren’t able to deliver.

For people to be great at their work, they need tools, resources, time, knowledge, skills and abilities. They might also need help overcoming barriers that may be getting in their way. As a manager, our role is to provide these, and to develop them over time.

Adair’s three responsibilities concept helps us to understand that what makes a manager a great manager is not about authority, hierarchy, power or a job title. Instead, it’s the fact that you are now responsible for yourself, as well as for the success of others too.

Authority in this sense is not a right, but a responsibility: your authority as a manager makes you responsible for making the right decisions, making the best of your resources, and ensuring the people who work with you have everything they need to deliver great work. That’s a lot for one person to consider, particularly as charities face demands to do even more with shrinking budgets and resources.

If you find yourself thinking “this all sounds great, but I can’t look in three directions at the same time, never mind do it and fit in my other duties,” you’re right. It’s not about focussing on all three of these areas all of the time. Instead, we can use Adair’s concept as a checklist to help us think about what’s needed right now and ensuring that over time, we’ve got the right balance between team, task and individual. For example:

  • If we focus too much on task delivery, without considering individual needs and talents, or team connection, we can create silo working and inefficiencies at best and cause burn out at worst
  • If we focus too much on individual, without considering the interplay between team and task, we lose cross-team learning and knowledge management
  • If we focus too much on team, without clear tasks and consideration of who is doing what, we can cause confusion and that can lead to resentment

And that’s why this model is so useful and very much still relevant today. It’s a simple reminder for us to lift our heads up and look across the whole picture and adjust to what’s happening.

The context may be different and our ways of working will never be the same as they were in the 1970s but having oversight over the task, the team and the individual remain key to being a great manager.

What’s next?

If you want to spend time thinking about what this would look like for you and your management development, contact us or call 020 7978 1516 to speak to one of our Learning & Development consultants.

[i] Adair, John Effective Leadership (Pan) 2009  This book explains his three-ring model of leadership roles.

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Safe Space – it feels like I’m running a marathon https://www.managementcentre.co.uk/blog/safe-space-it-feels-like-im-running-a-marathon/ https://www.managementcentre.co.uk/blog/safe-space-it-feels-like-im-running-a-marathon/#respond Tue, 17 Oct 2023 15:35:40 +0000 https://www.managementcentre.co.uk/?p=7038 Welcome to the Safe Space – where managers can share their issues, and gain advice from top learning & development consultants. Here at =mc we encourage every participant we meet on our programmes to get in touch if they have specific issues they want to follow up on. From this we hear some common problems, […]

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Welcome to the Safe Space – where managers can share their issues, and gain advice from top learning & development consultants.

Here at =mc we encourage every participant we meet on our programmes to get in touch if they have specific issues they want to follow up on. From this we hear some common problems, issues, challenges, and worries. In this regular feature, we share some of those challenges, and our advice, for dealing with them.

This month we respond to a very busy manager, in need of some encouragement and techniques to deal with both a marathon and a mountain simultaneously.

What’s the issue

Hello =mc team, I’m a manager of a reasonably large team: I manage three team leaders, who between them supervise a team of around 20 staff. We provide a front line service in the social work sector, and so our work is both reactive and unpredictable at times.

As the senior person in the team I’m also responsible for longer term team planning, I head up several projects, and I am responsible for building crucial relationships with stakeholders such as commissioners. It’s a lot to manage when things are relatively quiet, and right now it feels like more than ever.

I’m managing several big things that are all coming to a head at once: a service review, a team development initiative and a whole suite of new programmes for our service users. These are all exciting areas of work that will make a big difference to the people we work with.

I also have to keep up with my every-day-duties alongside the big projects. There are a lot of time-heavy and repetitive processes and to be honest, a lot of them are pretty boring. Finding ways to do all of this work has been exhausting.

Each single thing is manageable in its own way, and I know what I need to do. But adding it all together makes it feel like I’m at constantly at mile 18 of a marathon – the end looks a really long way away, I’m exhausted and my energy reserves are nearly empty.

As a working parent, I don’t have the option to put in more hours to get through it. I move between slogging away at it, feeling OK as I get things done, and then feeling utterly overwhelmed when I think about just how much I still have to get through. When I do feel bad about things, I know I’m wasting time on worrying and not just getting on with it. It would be great to have some ideas of how to get me over the finish line. I’m really hoping you can help me, and I bet I’m not the only one having a challenge like this!

What our consultants say

Laura

Hello busy Manager!

You definitely have a lot on, and you’re right, lots of people will empathise with your current situation. From what you’ve said, there’s a real mix of ‘business as usual’ work going on, along with waves of reactionary work, and all these project-based tasks on top.

It sounds like some of it might really be interesting for you, and some of it might not be exactly thrilling – though absolutely necessary work. What helps me get through the latter is to find my motivation, a reason to keep going that I can connect to. What might that look like for you?

If you’re struggling to find that motivation, try finding the purpose in these tasks. Remind yourself where they come from and what impact they have. Even the most mundane of tasks must exist for a reason. And if it doesn’t seem to have a clear purpose then you can question why you’re even doing it. Then you have the option of not doing it, or at least putting it off until after the marathon. Good luck!

Rachel

Dear Manager, I really enjoy running and challenges, so this metaphor is something I can really understand.

When you are doing tough physical challenges, it’s helpful to break up your training and gradually extend your goals. Building up your progress each time. It can be the same with your workload. Can you break it into chunks and stages, for each workstream or task area? Then you only need to focus on completing each chunk – putting one foot forward at a time.

When I’m training, I am really joyful when I hit a goal or milestone. Try to intersperse your chunks with energisers and rewards – things that bring you joy in your work. Maybe this is connecting with your team – having a tea/coffee break for no other reason than to have a sit down and a chat. Maybe this is taking time to catch up on some reading – for the joy of learning without a need to be productive. Whatever works for you, this chunking process can give you an energy boost to do the next phase.

Petia

Hello Manager, I’m glad you pointed out that the answer here isn’t working more hours ‘to get on top of things’. That wouldn’t solve the wider issues, just the short term crunch. The reality of the not-for-profit sector is that demand for your services will be increasing. It’s likely your workload will increase as well. It’s crucial to be aware of your boundaries, your right to a home and personal life, and a right to step away from work so you can relax, recharge, and enjoy yourself.

You describe this as a unique period – where lots of things are a colliding. I hope this is the case, and you are not in a permanent pattern of overly ambitious expectations. I flag this because we need to be so aware of the long term damage we can do to ourselves when we are running to keep up all the time. Burnout is a real risk here, and so do keep an eye on these expectations. It could be worth a chat with your manager to discuss priorities, longer term plans and what support can be put in place.

Don’t forget your team too, can you delegate to them or lean on them for support during this very busy period? You don’t have to do it all, and you don’t have to do it alone.

Philly

Hello there, thanks so much for reaching out to us – another task completed on your very long list! I agree with all the advice above: find purpose for motivation, chunk and energise, and keep an eye on the longer term risks for this kind of working.

From what you have said, there is an end in sight. You are at mile 18 and need to get to the end. Imagine how great that will feel – when you see all these fantastic projects come to fruition and know that you have made a real difference! Like running though, taking on this level of work could become something you get very used to, and even seek out, as you enjoy the satisfaction of a job well done and no doubt the huge impact you can have for your service users.

Take care at the end of this busy period to review: what decision making process did you follow to prioritise? What helped you deliver good outcomes? What challenges did you overcome on the way? What would you do differently next time? And keep an eye on this volume of work – as Petia says, don’t let overwork become normalised. Putting in a planned point of review now will give you the finishing line and a place to stop and think before you go racing again. Best of luck to you, and do let us know how you get on.

What’s next?

If you’d like to explore ways of handling for situations like this, contact us online or call 020 7978 1516 to discuss similar challenges and how we might be able to help.

If you’d like some advice on in the next issue of the Safe Space, email us on safespace@managementcentre.co.uk. Whilst we can’t promise to publish all the requests we receive, we will offer advice by email as a minimum.

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Safe Space #12 How can I connect my hybrid-working team? https://www.managementcentre.co.uk/blog/safe-space-12-how-can-i-connect-my-hybrid-working-team/ https://www.managementcentre.co.uk/blog/safe-space-12-how-can-i-connect-my-hybrid-working-team/#respond Sat, 02 Sep 2023 14:16:39 +0000 https://www.managementcentre.co.uk/?p=6285 Here at =mc we encourage every participant we meet on our programmes to get in touch if they have specific issues they want to follow up on. From this we hear some common problems, issues, challenges, and worries. In this regular feature we share some of those challenges, and our advice, for dealing with them. […]

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Here at =mc we encourage every participant we meet on our programmes to get in touch if they have specific issues they want to follow up on. From this we hear some common problems, issues, challenges, and worries. In this regular feature we share some of those challenges, and our advice, for dealing with them.

This time, the issue comes from a manager with a very common challenge: hybrid working and team cohesion

What is the issue?

Hello Management Centre. I am an HR Manager working in a care organisation, employing around 500 people across multiple sites. Like everyone, the pandemic dealt a number of really tough years to us and the HR team was kept very busy as we dealt with all the changes and staff issues that ensued. We work in our Head Office, and so I haven’t had to deal with the difficulties of our front line teams. As an organisation, we have done really well to look after our people. In our team, we have been muddling along, trying to be supportive of our colleagues. My team shifted to homeworking straight off and did OK. There are four of us in total. We’re now moving to a hybrid working pattern – whereby we are expected to be in the office a couple of days a week. One team member is going in everyday, as they have found the office is better than working in their shared home. Another team member is only going in once a week, and is already complaining about commuting again. I thought my team had coped really well with everything, but seeing them in the office again has shown me how fractured we’ve become. There’s no chatting, lots of silence, and a bit of complaining. We seem disconnected from each other. What can I do to bring them together when I can’t force them to come into the office all of the time?

What our consultants say:

Yvette

This is becoming quite a common problem at the moment, and I completely understand this is a challenging time for managers and their teams. As a former HR Manager, I imagine in a team of your size each person has a specialist set of responsibilities – Business Partnering, ER Policies and Admin, Pay & Rewards, Learning & Development etc. A good starting point would be to analyse the kind of activities you expect your team to work on as a group and what they can work alone on. In our team, we often work ‘alone’ as we are with our customers rather than each other. When we come together, we use that time to share knowledge, get creative, move projects forward, and to support each other. Can you organise things so that when people are in the office they do some of their ‘together’ work, and when at home they can be more autonomous? Working together or working alone doesn’t have to be the full team or for the full working day. You can mix things up, but do so in a planned way. Can people pair up to share ideas and knowledge for a few hours? Can they use the together-time to problem solve and be creative?  Try planning ahead – are there points in the month (or even year) when more together-time is needed? Giving people clear tasks to work on together should get the conversation flowing again. It gives them something to pin that connection on.

Charlie

Hello HR Manager. Well done on managing all the challenges that have been thrown at you in the last couple of years. You mention that your team has done well all things considered. No doubt you adapted to working online and as a team had to work together to solve totally new problems. What do you think the positives have been of the last year? I would recommend you get the team thinking about that and find ways to build on the good that has come from the changes you have made. Start with a team session and have a review meeting together. Use this to identify the benefits from homeworking that you want to keep, and bring forward into hybrid working. Create a guide setting out your new ways of working and agreements you have made to each other. Keep it positive by framing this as a learning opportunity. Try these questions to get you started: what did working online and at home help you to do differently or to improve? What have you learned in the last year that could help us in the next six months? What have you missed from previous ways of working that you would like to bring back? Getting the team to help plan in this way gives them some ownership for making hybrid working effective, and will bring them together again.

Laura

It sounds like you have a good team, who know what they are doing but have hit a bit of a rough spot. Your team may well be fully formed, interdependent and performing at a high level in normal times. However, people have had a lot to cope with, and here we go making changes again with hybrid working. Any change will knock the confidence of the team and take them back to a ‘forming’ stage. As a leader, they need you to set out what needs to be done and what is expected. Try sharing your personal challenges and experiences with the team. Show them that you appreciate what they have done so far, and that you have confidence in them. Try introducing spontaneous conversation again yourself, but make it purposeful, not nosey! Welcome people into the office, ask them how they are, ask them if they need your time today and what for. Book that in. Show commitment to them. Take breaks, and ask them to join you. When they are working online, get in touch and check in with them. Make this normal, not formal. Model the behaviours you miss seeing in them. And be gentle, it will take time to build new behaviours into the working day.

Philly

Hello manager. It sounds like your team have some very different individual needs. This can be tricky – when you want to be fair to everyone but everyone needs something different. The key here is in understanding those needs, and talking openly about the need to be fair in different ways. Fairness is not sameness. Try taking a coaching approach – starting with each person. Ask them what they find challenging about hybrid working, what they can do themselves to make it work for them, what accommodations they need from their co-workers, and what they could do to support the accommodations of others. This might include things like ensuring team meetings take place with both online and in person options, or being clear for each person what time of day calls and meetings can take place and when people need to be left alone uninterrupted. Then bring the team together, and share ideas on supporting each other. You could bring this into your team planning session, as suggested by Charlie. Often complaining is rooted in a sense of unfairness, so heading that off can help people see this is a collective challenge, and collective efforts are needed to make it work for everyone.

Rachel

Hi there. This is a tough situation. As an HR team, you need to find a solution that works for you, and for all the other teams in your organisation. I’ve seen hybrid working really work well in large organisations where hot-desking has been set up. For some organisations, this isn’t really that new – it’s just a change to how we have been working in the last year or so. Therefore, you may find there is a lot of useful practice in your organisation already. Ask other managers what is working for them and what they find difficult. Ask them what they have done in previous roles that helped. You could also tap into your HR networks, and find successes in similar charities. Internally, can you create a network for managers to share their ideas, or keep a central repository of shared successes, and ongoing challenges? Internal blogs, Teams, Slack Channels, and newsletters are all useful resources for this. Can HR be the champion of sharing this knowledge? Given your unique position as a central team with a people agenda, you could be modelling the way for others and highlighting the positive solutions that have been found.

What next?

If you’d like to explore ways of handling for situations like this, contact us online or call 020 7978 1516 to discuss similar challenges and how we might be able to help.

Finally, if you’re facing a challenge you’d like some advice on in the next issue of the Safe Space, email us on safespace@managementcentre.co.uk. While we can’t promise to publish all the requests we receive, we will offer advice by email as a minimum.

 

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Managers Toolkit: Unhelpful Management Mindsets https://www.managementcentre.co.uk/blog/managers-toolkit-unhelpful-management-mindsets/ https://www.managementcentre.co.uk/blog/managers-toolkit-unhelpful-management-mindsets/#respond Fri, 01 Sep 2023 12:11:17 +0000 https://www.managementcentre.co.uk/?p=6567 This video introduces 6 destructive mindsets that new managers often fall into by mistake. Each of these can have a negative impact on your success as a manager, how your team perceive you and ultimately how they perform. Explore each mindset, reflect on your own practices and work out what kind of manager you want […]

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This video introduces 6 destructive mindsets that new managers often fall into by mistake. Each of these can have a negative impact on your success as a manager, how your team perceive you and ultimately how they perform. Explore each mindset, reflect on your own practices and work out what kind of manager you want to be.

To view the video with subtitles, Watch on Youtube.

 

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