Setting the Contexts
Skillful leadership is essential for achieving outcomes set by organizations in any sector. Under common circumstances, leaders face many challenges during the course of their work as they aim to stay true to and bring to life their organization’s strategic direction (mandate: values, mission and priorities). Leaders are required to manage systems, lead people and facilitate processes.
I have been in middle management for over 15 years and for 13 of those years I learned everything I knew about leadership and management, by watching others and by trial and error. My Social Work education did not prepare me to lead nor did it prepare me to manage a not-for-profit business. In fact, my Social Work education did not prepare me for conceiving, planning, overseeing the implementation and evaluation of programs. It also did not prepare me to work alongside and lead other persons in the delivery of service to clients. I relied on my instinct, my sense of justice and the cardinal rules instilled in me by my mother, “treat others the way you want to be treated”, “put yourself in other peoples’ shoes” and “what would you do, if this was happening to you?”
I wish that there had been opportunities through my education and training that explored the different aspects of working in the human services sector. I wish there had been conversations that focussed on leadership and service and that paid particular attention to the interpersonal and humanistic aspects of our work.
My Purpose
I had Some of the lessons I learned along the way that shaped who I am as a middle manager and leader were extremely painful because they were taught to me by people I believe, were not ready to lead or had no leadership skills. Nevertheless, I appreciate these painful lessons as they taught me what not to do as a manager. Having said that, I also believe that knowing what not to do, does not necessary mean that you know what you should do! My Social Work education did teach me how to serve. It taught me to think critically and analyse complex issues about the human experience, challenge the status quo, act with integrity and professionalism all within the context of service provision.
In my work as a manager and leader I believe there were moments when I managed and led skillfully and other moments when I did not and I used these lessons to further develop myself. However, I always felt that there was something missing and I felt that what was hard about doing the work, had more to do with interpersonal relationships within the workplace and less to do with the clients and the complexities they brought to the work. So, I decided to search outside the human services education programs. I decided to enroll in an online International Master of Business Administration (IMBA). This program addressed Human Resources, Operations, Marketing, Accounting & Finance, Strategic Change Management and Strategic Management & Leadership. That opened my eyes to a new reality and my mind to exploring alternative ways to conduct myself, manage programs/systems and lead my teams. It is not surprising that I chose Management & Leadership as the focus for my dissertation looking at essential skills leader must have.
I know that I am not the only person or middle Manager that has experienced the challenges and struggles that come with not being prepared for the job or that has learned the hard way about doing the work! I wish that there had been opportunities for conversations so that this journey was less isolating, scary and painful. I wish there had been someone who told me that they too were “faking it until they made it”! The purpose of this blog is to provide opportunity for likeminded middle managers to share ideas about ways in which we can be more skillful in managing our programs and leading our staff. I will share some tips that have helped me along the way and welcome learning from readers about ways in which they have navigated through their journeys.
I will start by dedicating this first blog to managing and leading in this very challenging time. Future blogs will focus on addressing general management and leadership skills and ways we can develop ourselves. I will bring topics such as; managing power, trauma-informed and anti-oppressive leadership, critical thought and strategic leadership, facilitating versus managing change, facilitating staff development, managing systems and leading people, to name a few. These areas are of the great interest to me because I believe them to be of crucial importance in my work as a manager.
I’d like to assert that it is not the intention of this blog to make assumptions about others. Likewise, I must share that I feel that I am at a place in my personal and professional life, where I can no longer fear sharing my thoughts because I don’t want to ruffle feathers or step on toes or rock the boat, well you get the point! I feel that it is my duty to share what I know as others have shared with me, knowing that many may not agree or need my ideas. Whatever the case, here it goes!
Managing Change: Current Environment
At times such as the one we are living now due to Covid-19 when many of us have had to close our doors and work remotely to continue to provide some level of service to those we have been entrusted to serve, managing can be much more challenging. It is not enough to be creative and find ways to pull it off by using different platforms to manage the programs and contact our staff. It is important to understand that we need to start from a place where we (managers) have a good existing relationship with our teams. If not, perhaps we can take this opportunity to reset and start over by starting a brand new relationship with our staff. I suggest that we start by establishing a new culture if it is required!
If we are working remotely (from home), this can be an opportunity for us to ensure that our staff have the required resources they need in order for them to do their jobs from home. Unfortunately for many if not all of us Covid-19 caught us by surprise and did not allow us to properly prepare so that we would “respond” instead of “react”. Assuming that we have set our teams up with computers/laptops, cell phones or other devises to continue to communicate with you and clients, we can then (if it does not already exist) start a new culture of engagement. I mean, we can decide to set guidelines for working from home. Many of us already have policies and protocols for staff or managers to work from home that attend to issues of privacy/confidentiality, safety and other expectations. I am suggesting that we pay special attention to the human connection we have with our teams. Decide how often and how (technology) we are going to use to reach out to our staff.
We can find a balance between engaging too much and leaving staff to feel that we are “checking up on them (micro-managing) and engaging too little where staff would feel that they don’t have our support. Micro-managing can convey a message of distrust to staff while the hands-off approach can leave staff feeling isolated and without supports to cope with added pressure they may be feeling from working with our clients who are now experiencing much fear and insecurity about the current environment.
Once we have established what works for our teams, we can make sure that our interactions include a checking-in where staff have the opportunity to share what is going on for them and their families. This will support team work and rebuild rapport. We can also reach out to our staff individually to check-in with them around private/confidential issues to them. We can also support and problem-solving or trouble-shooting as we may have staff that are less technologically savvy and may not feel comfortable sharing in a group setting.
Staff may also be struggling with the current situation and need individual supervision and coaching. We can acknowledge the challenges of working from home during this environment where staff are having to focus on work and their families under the same roof concurrently. Many of our staff have children who are now having to adapt to new ways of learning (e-learning) and this process involves parents and caregivers more than when children or students are at school. Such validation can go a long way to helping staff feel supported through this tricky challenge of finding work/life balance under this very difficult time.
We can also offer to support staff by being a resource to them and researching other support systems and services; keeping them updated with information flow without overwhelming them with too much information; engaging in advocacy with agencies and or sectors that directly or indirectly impact the clients we serve and brainstorming with staff about creative ways to work with clients remotely. Perhaps we can suggest and encourage to our staff (if appropriate) to explore online free training as part of their work and self-development. More than ever, we are in an environment where we must expand our safety planning processes to include safety planning for staff as they may be using their personal technology devices to reach out to clients and support staff with processes to continue to maintain clients’ confidentiality and privacy.
Additionally, we can also model a culture of self-care and resilience building! We can make sure that we encourage our teams to take time to care for themselves by sharing some ideas and strategies that they can implement or asking them about whatever they already know to work for them. Encouraging staff to develop a routine to start their day in a positive note and suggesting that they take their breaks, especially their lunch breaks. Encourage staff to have a start and end time for working from home.
I end with encouraging us to convey messages of hope and collaboration with our team by articulating that we are all in this together and will come out on the other side together! Having said that, I am interested in hearing from you (middle managers) how you have been managing and attending to your own needs. What do you think have been challenges and opportunities to managing during these very trying time? What supports your work? How can we as managers strike the fine balance between supporting our teams and caring for ourselves? How have you been able to validate how difficult it has been to continue to provide services to our clients and instill hope and confidence that we will come out on the other side together?
Please stay tuned for future blogs. Take care and stay safe!
Skillful leadership is essential for achieving outcomes set by organizations in any sector. Under common circumstances, leaders face many challenges during the course of their work as they aim to stay true to and bring to life their organization’s strategic direction (mandate: values, mission and priorities). Leaders are required to manage systems, lead people and facilitate processes.
I have been in middle management for over 15 years and for 13 of those years I learned everything I knew about leadership and management, by watching others and by trial and error. My Social Work education did not prepare me to lead nor did it prepare me to manage a not-for-profit business. In fact, my Social Work education did not prepare me for conceiving, planning, overseeing the implementation and evaluation of programs. It also did not prepare me to work alongside and lead other persons in the delivery of service to clients. I relied on my instinct, my sense of justice and the cardinal rules instilled in me by my mother, “treat others the way you want to be treated”, “put yourself in other peoples’ shoes” and “what would you do, if this was happening to you?”
I wish that there had been opportunities through my education and training that explored the different aspects of working in the human services sector. I wish there had been conversations that focussed on leadership and service and that paid particular attention to the interpersonal and humanistic aspects of our work.
My Purpose
I had Some of the lessons I learned along the way that shaped who I am as a middle manager and leader were extremely painful because they were taught to me by people I believe, were not ready to lead or had no leadership skills. Nevertheless, I appreciate these painful lessons as they taught me what not to do as a manager. Having said that, I also believe that knowing what not to do, does not necessary mean that you know what you should do! My Social Work education did teach me how to serve. It taught me to think critically and analyse complex issues about the human experience, challenge the status quo, act with integrity and professionalism all within the context of service provision.
In my work as a manager and leader I believe there were moments when I managed and led skillfully and other moments when I did not and I used these lessons to further develop myself. However, I always felt that there was something missing and I felt that what was hard about doing the work, had more to do with interpersonal relationships within the workplace and less to do with the clients and the complexities they brought to the work. So, I decided to search outside the human services education programs. I decided to enroll in an online International Master of Business Administration (IMBA). This program addressed Human Resources, Operations, Marketing, Accounting & Finance, Strategic Change Management and Strategic Management & Leadership. That opened my eyes to a new reality and my mind to exploring alternative ways to conduct myself, manage programs/systems and lead my teams. It is not surprising that I chose Management & Leadership as the focus for my dissertation looking at essential skills leader must have.
I know that I am not the only person or middle Manager that has experienced the challenges and struggles that come with not being prepared for the job or that has learned the hard way about doing the work! I wish that there had been opportunities for conversations so that this journey was less isolating, scary and painful. I wish there had been someone who told me that they too were “faking it until they made it”! The purpose of this blog is to provide opportunity for likeminded middle managers to share ideas about ways in which we can be more skillful in managing our programs and leading our staff. I will share some tips that have helped me along the way and welcome learning from readers about ways in which they have navigated through their journeys.
I will start by dedicating this first blog to managing and leading in this very challenging time. Future blogs will focus on addressing general management and leadership skills and ways we can develop ourselves. I will bring topics such as; managing power, trauma-informed and anti-oppressive leadership, critical thought and strategic leadership, facilitating versus managing change, facilitating staff development, managing systems and leading people, to name a few. These areas are of the great interest to me because I believe them to be of crucial importance in my work as a manager.
I’d like to assert that it is not the intention of this blog to make assumptions about others. Likewise, I must share that I feel that I am at a place in my personal and professional life, where I can no longer fear sharing my thoughts because I don’t want to ruffle feathers or step on toes or rock the boat, well you get the point! I feel that it is my duty to share what I know as others have shared with me, knowing that many may not agree or need my ideas. Whatever the case, here it goes!
Managing Change: Current Environment
At times such as the one we are living now due to Covid-19 when many of us have had to close our doors and work remotely to continue to provide some level of service to those we have been entrusted to serve, managing can be much more challenging. It is not enough to be creative and find ways to pull it off by using different platforms to manage the programs and contact our staff. It is important to understand that we need to start from a place where we (managers) have a good existing relationship with our teams. If not, perhaps we can take this opportunity to reset and start over by starting a brand new relationship with our staff. I suggest that we start by establishing a new culture if it is required!
If we are working remotely (from home), this can be an opportunity for us to ensure that our staff have the required resources they need in order for them to do their jobs from home. Unfortunately for many if not all of us Covid-19 caught us by surprise and did not allow us to properly prepare so that we would “respond” instead of “react”. Assuming that we have set our teams up with computers/laptops, cell phones or other devises to continue to communicate with you and clients, we can then (if it does not already exist) start a new culture of engagement. I mean, we can decide to set guidelines for working from home. Many of us already have policies and protocols for staff or managers to work from home that attend to issues of privacy/confidentiality, safety and other expectations. I am suggesting that we pay special attention to the human connection we have with our teams. Decide how often and how (technology) we are going to use to reach out to our staff.
We can find a balance between engaging too much and leaving staff to feel that we are “checking up on them (micro-managing) and engaging too little where staff would feel that they don’t have our support. Micro-managing can convey a message of distrust to staff while the hands-off approach can leave staff feeling isolated and without supports to cope with added pressure they may be feeling from working with our clients who are now experiencing much fear and insecurity about the current environment.
Once we have established what works for our teams, we can make sure that our interactions include a checking-in where staff have the opportunity to share what is going on for them and their families. This will support team work and rebuild rapport. We can also reach out to our staff individually to check-in with them around private/confidential issues to them. We can also support and problem-solving or trouble-shooting as we may have staff that are less technologically savvy and may not feel comfortable sharing in a group setting.
Staff may also be struggling with the current situation and need individual supervision and coaching. We can acknowledge the challenges of working from home during this environment where staff are having to focus on work and their families under the same roof concurrently. Many of our staff have children who are now having to adapt to new ways of learning (e-learning) and this process involves parents and caregivers more than when children or students are at school. Such validation can go a long way to helping staff feel supported through this tricky challenge of finding work/life balance under this very difficult time.
We can also offer to support staff by being a resource to them and researching other support systems and services; keeping them updated with information flow without overwhelming them with too much information; engaging in advocacy with agencies and or sectors that directly or indirectly impact the clients we serve and brainstorming with staff about creative ways to work with clients remotely. Perhaps we can suggest and encourage to our staff (if appropriate) to explore online free training as part of their work and self-development. More than ever, we are in an environment where we must expand our safety planning processes to include safety planning for staff as they may be using their personal technology devices to reach out to clients and support staff with processes to continue to maintain clients’ confidentiality and privacy.
Additionally, we can also model a culture of self-care and resilience building! We can make sure that we encourage our teams to take time to care for themselves by sharing some ideas and strategies that they can implement or asking them about whatever they already know to work for them. Encouraging staff to develop a routine to start their day in a positive note and suggesting that they take their breaks, especially their lunch breaks. Encourage staff to have a start and end time for working from home.
I end with encouraging us to convey messages of hope and collaboration with our team by articulating that we are all in this together and will come out on the other side together! Having said that, I am interested in hearing from you (middle managers) how you have been managing and attending to your own needs. What do you think have been challenges and opportunities to managing during these very trying time? What supports your work? How can we as managers strike the fine balance between supporting our teams and caring for ourselves? How have you been able to validate how difficult it has been to continue to provide services to our clients and instill hope and confidence that we will come out on the other side together?
Please stay tuned for future blogs. Take care and stay safe!
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