Soooo...You Think You Want To Be In Management? You May Want To Think Again

I have been so fascinated over the years about how lackadaisical we are when promoting people into leadership positions. Although I could go on for days about the dangers of making poor promotional decisions, I thought today I would focus on the actual leadership candidates themselves.

So let’s get to the bottom of this….What’s Your Real Motivation?

In typical business tradition, you most likely stumbled upon a job posting in your work place, a newspaper advertisement or internet job site highlighting some incredibly intriguing and exciting management position. You may have endured a number of interviews where you talked about your impressive education, all encompassing business acumen and significant leadership "potential". If you were lucky, someone actually took the time to review the actual job description with you. Although it most likely listed all of the “supervisory stuff” like hiring, training, writing performance reviews, etc.- nowhere was it able to highlight the incredible responsibility you were about to undertake.

You see, this job is really not about controlling operational processes, managing inventory, or departmental budgets... and it is definitely not about telling your employees what to do. You have undertaken the enormous responsibility of providing inspired guidance and leadership to human beings, most of whom have a strong desire to be a part of something much bigger than themselves. They will look to you for knowledge, guidance, advice, support, understanding, empathy and inclusion. Some will want to be challenged with new assignments in an effort to show you what they are capable of; while some will have personal struggles that detract from their ability to perform at a level that you will expect. Some will underestimate their abilities, while others will try and sell you a bill of goods. To be successful, you will need to continually find ways to blend all of their unique characteristics and create a cohesive and productive team. All this while managing the operational processes, customer relationships and other aspects of day-to-day life in business. So now that we have established the enormity of your responsibility, you can see why your motivation for taking this job becomes so critical.

Over the years, I have had the privilege of teaching variety of leadership classes to new and upcoming supervisors. As part of my own personal experiment, I typically ask everyone to fill out a confidential survey about why they pursued their new supervisory position. Inevitably, the majority of responses had to do with the same things. Let’s explore how these motivators affect one's ability to be a successful supervisor.

The Almighty DollarAh yes, the moola factor. A desire to make more money has been the number one response in my survey. Although this is often a perk of the position, no amount of money is worth the struggles that you will encounter on your journey, unless your heart is in the right place. Let’s face it, after the third or fourth paycheck, that new-found windfall will be a thing of the past anyway. Now, while I am the first to admit that I have been well compensated in my various leadership roles throughout my career, this only came to pass when I finally understood that my success was directly tied to the success of my entire team. Most of us were raised with the understanding that if we work hard, then the rewards will follow. When supervising a team, the rewards will only follow when you understand that you work FOR your team. The more you demonstrate your dedication and commitment to their individual and collective success, the more success will come your way.

The main problem with the moola factor being your motivator is it gives a false sense of who or what creates your success. When you are rewarded financially, you must be mindful of who helped bring success your way. Leaders must understand that without a highly functional work team, they will not have the success they desire. As I learned from my Ffther long ago, when we are fortunate to receive, we must turn around and pay it forward. Whenever a raise or bonus came my way, I would inevitably bring some of it back into my workplace. Whether it was hosting a little party to celebrate the team’s success, bringing in doughnuts on Fridays or sending little thank you notes, I knew I was obligated to share my good fortune with those who brought it to me in the first place. I subscribe to the belief that what we send out in the world continues to come back to us. So make it your commitment to share your good fortune and prosperity with those who brought it to you to begin with.

It Must Be Easier to be “The Boss”You are now “The Boss” and how sweet it sounds. How many of us have looked at our boss and questioned what the heck they did all day? “I would love a job like that where I can just walk around all day” or “I wish I could collect a paycheck for talking on the phone all day". Talk about being out of touch with reality.

Suddenly you are personally responsible for the quality and volume of the work being generated in your department each and every day. All from a bunch of people that don’t really know you, and don't have any vested interested in your success. You will spend your days listening to complaints from your boss, your team, your customers, and your peers. You will be expected to be accountable for problems you did not cause, and be required to create solutions for issues you don’t even understand. Sounds like utopia, right?

Well get this through your head right now…. You may have been promoted because you were a strong performer, but it is no longer all about you and your ability to crank out a ton of work. You will be spending your days actively listening, negotiating, educating, coaching, and just surviving. Don’t be under any delusions that because you were a strong performer in your previous role that you will have equal success as a supervisor. The skill set is completely different. Lesson learned here is that being “The Boss” looks so much easier than what reality will bring.

I Already Know it All and Do It All - So Why Not Just Be The Boss
If you are currently in the role of departmental guru, resident technical expert, “go to” guy or gal... all I can say is CAUTION, DANGER, STEP BACK, LOOK BEFORE YOU LEAP!! Here’s the deal…Although the department supervisor position may look very attractive to you, realize that unless you are in a position where you are providing guidance and leadership to fellow team members on a regular basis, you probably have no idea what you are about to get yourself into. Now, I am not suggesting that there are technical experts out there that wouldn’t be great leaders, but understand that the skill sets are completely different.

Success for a leader comes by working THROUGH your employees. This is often a difficult transition for those who have been consistently recognized as individual contributors. The boss is no longer paying you to personally crank out of a ton of “stuff”. They are expecting you to create a high performing work team and develop new gurus. You will also experience a significant change in how you will be recognized in your new role. No longer will you get the ticker tape parade in their honor every time you pull off a solution to a tricky problem or meet a deadline just under the wire. As the Supervisor, you are just expected to fix the problem and meet the deadline. There will be no fan fare or war stories of all it took to get to the finish line.

So, think twice about pursing a leadership role if you are currently an outstanding “individual contributor”. If leadership is a burning desire, go for it. If it just seems like the next step in the progression of your career, I would suggest getting involved with some type of mentoring or development plan first before you take the leap.

Finally...A Chance to Make Changes
Wow…doesn’t this sound like a great motivation for taking the job? WRONG! If wanting the supervisory job has to do with making things "right" based on your frustrations or disappointments in your current role, you may be on a dangerous path. You must recognize that wanting a leadership role to fulfill your own agenda is rooted in a desire for power and control. Great leaders must realize that while change is critical to the success of all teams, change for the sake of change is very dangerous.

In their zest for success, many new supervisors often attempt to implement quick and radical changes prior to integrating into their new environment, or developing a relationship with their employees. What they fail to acknowledge is that their employees are the ones who are responsible for ensuring the timeliness and accuracy of the work done in their department. If they have not been included in any discussions leading up to the change, what incentive do they have for making it work? Your employees are your resident experts and the ones who can anticipate any unintended consequences from your desired "process improvement". So the lesson here is- involve your team in potential changes and you will build strong relationships while implementing effective process improvements.

Power- The “Me Chief You Indian” SyndromeUnfortunately, all too often new supervisors experience an insatiable appetite for power. My father used to call this the “Me Chief You Indian" syndrome. In other words, I will tell you what to do because I am your supervisor, and you will just do it because I am your supervisor... and did I happen to mention that I am your supervisor? Let’s face it, no one has to present you with the tiara and scepter. Everyone gets the fact that you’re the boss.

What many new supervisors don’t realize is the enormous power in numbers. If you come at your team from the stance of having all of the power, they will withdraw and refuse to play the game. You may think that because you are the boss you can just make them do what you want. The problem is that you will continue to receive more and more resistance, and the work environment will spiral out of control. Employees will spend more time on the drama unfolding between you and the team, and less time on the business at hand. Finally, someone from upper management or Human Resources will need to swoop in to resolve YOUR issues. I have seen this drama play out countless times throughout my career and inevitably, the supervisor always gets forced out. The sad part is seeing the damage that is done to a team that has had to endure this type of leadership debacle. If power is your motivator, I can guarantee with absolute certainty that in the long run, you will fail.


A Chance to Make a Difference
Tada…now that’s what I am talking about. Being a leader is all about making a difference in the lives of those you have the pleasure to serve. Yes....I said serve.

So how do you go about making a difference? You need to take the time to get to know each and every one of your employees. What are their personal hobbies and interests? What are their strengths? What are their development needs? What are their career aspirations? Once you understand who they are as individuals, you can begin to create a higher performing work team that sees you as someone that has taken a personal interest in their growth and advancement. That, my friend, is the key to the leadership kingdom!! Showing your care and commitment to your team creates dedicated employees who will go to the ends of the earth to support you and the team goals.

So perhaps your original motivation was not in line with making a difference. The real question now is - Can you fulfill the requirements of this role? Can you commit and align yourself with the significant role you will play in the lives of your employees? Do you understand that your success is directly tied to your team’s job satisfaction? Can you make a commitment to come to work each and every day with a focus on creating a supportive and energetic environment for your team? If you can provide a resounding “YES” to each of these questions, then congratulations, it sounds like you are on the path to a successful leadership career.

So to all of the leaders out there.....thoughts??