Manage your Worries Before you Manage Others
How to Manage your Worries Before you Manage Others
Have you ever had to lead or manage a group of people with no prior experience? Well, me too. Entering my senior year of college, I was given the wonderful opportunity to lead a group of content creators in my Applied Integrated Marketing Communications (AIMC) class. The natural thoughts crossed my mind, “will I be a micromanager?”, “will I under communicate expectations?”, or “will I personally lose track of deadlines and fail my team?”. Of course, I had been through the process as a content creator and had the experience of doing the work personally, but I was worried about my aptitude to effectively lead others through that process.
As I’ve now learned, there are tools and techniques that can help you manage your worries so you can manage your team. In this blog, I will share three tips that helped me build my confidence in leading others.
December 2024 - Paige Leishman - 5 min read
Tip 1: Work Backwards
Have you ever found yourself at the eleventh hour of a project, suddenly drowning in a sea of unfinished tasks? You're not alone. According to a Forbes article, a staggering 78% of workers admit to procrastinating, despite the anxiety it brings. So why do we do this to ourselves? It's rarely about not knowing how to do the work. More often, it's a motivation issue. And before you start pointing fingers at your "lazy" team members, let's talk about a little thing called the fundamental attribution error. This cognitive bias makes us blame others' shortcomings on their personality ("They're just lazy!") while giving ourselves a pass for external reasons ("I had to pick up an extra shift at work!"). As a leader, recognizing this bias is crucial. It allows you to approach procrastination with empathy, understanding that everyone struggles with it sometimes. So, how could we get passed this issue? Enter the "working backwards" technique. Here's how it works:
Gather your team and identify the ultimate project goal.
Draw a timeline, placing that final deliverable at the far right.
Now, work backwards. What's the very last task before completion? Plot it on the timeline.
Keep moving left, mapping out each preceding task with its deadline.
Continue until you reach your current starting point.
This visual roadmap breaks down the project into manageable chunks, making the path forward clear. By implementing this strategy, you'll not only reduce procrastination but also reduce deadline anxiety for your entire team.
Tip 2: Embrace Challenges
Change is inevitable. It’s a constant force that shapes our personal and professional lives, often arriving when we least expect it. Whether it’s a shift in your job responsibilities, a new project at work, or changes in personnel, novelty shows up regardless. Recognizing that change is a natural part of life is the first step toward effectively navigating it. The sooner you accept that change will come, the better equipped you’ll be to respond proactively rather than reactively. As utilized in AIMC, running “Standups” before team meetings allows group members to actively voice their current concerns or “blockers”. Here’s how it goes:
Step 1: Have all group members stand up and choose a group member to go first.
Step 2: Share what you have done. What is the last thing you accomplished regarding the team's project?
Step 3: Share what you plan to do. What is the next thing you plan to do regarding the team’s project?
Step 4: Share any and all of your blockers. What is preventing you from doing your best work now or in the future?
Once all team members have shared their insights, take the time to address each blocker and collaboratively seek solutions. This approach ensures that everyone feels heard and understood, fostering a sense of support within the team. By acknowledging these challenges together, team members will realize they are not alone in facing difficulties and can rely on one another.
Step 3: Give Solutions Not Answers
Have you ever reflected on your best learning moments? Chances are, they weren't created from being handed ready-made answers, but through personal experience and trial/error.
As a leader, your greatest impact isn't in dictating every step, but in creating pathways for your team's growth. When team members approach you with questions, resist the temptation to simply provide the answer. Instead, offer a solution that challenges them to navigate the problem independently. It might feel more efficient to directly solve their challenges, but this approach stunts professional development. Your real leadership power lies in guiding your team toward growth. By providing frameworks, resources, and strategic nudges, you help them build problem-solving skills that can serve them in the future.
Remember, your initial worries about leadership are normal and even beneficial. They show that you care about your role and your team's success. By implementing these strategies, you'll find that those worries transform into tools for growth and improvement.
