I’m 30, and so are many of my friends. For the unfortunately self-employed, we’re fortunate enough to meet and learn from a wide spectrum of people – clients, partners, vendors, merchants, employees, etc. – and even a tad more “officially” through mentors – for putting ourselves out there.
98% of friends who happen to be on the less weird side of employment (i.e. gainfully employed) will face one or many of these predicaments, or similar:
- I am in a small environment and am now heading almost everything in my domain, with only generalist directors to report to.
- I have been staying par for the course, I know exactly what I’m doing technically, how to manage stakeholders, and can deliver results consistently.
- I am now a mid-level exec/junior manager after completing my MA programme. The shine and glamour of CEO dinners are gone.
The common themes here:
- I am extremely comfortable or extremely uncomfortable
- How do I continue learning, improving, and honing my craft?
- Is a mid-career switch beckoning?
Of the above, (1) is awareness. (3) is a last resort. So now, let me introduce this concept to address (2):
Learn Passive Upwards, Learn Active Downwards
Upwards: In all cases mentioned, you have paymasters above you. They no longer see you as a fresh-faced 25-year-old fresh grad and give you nuggets of wisdom, agree to a lunch with no agenda, or have elevator talk with you. Even if they do, it’s about each other’s latest newborn!
The logic here is then simple, if you cannot learn actively, then do so secretly passively. In a corporate setting, you have plenty of MDs and ADs who are on cross-project teams and the chance to observe them speak, behave, write, assign work, and manage is where your pot of gold is.
Pick a ‘role model’ – or someone whose management skills you believe fit your belief systems. All you need to do is observe and copy the things you like. Caveats/pitfalls to look out for: (i) stop short of being obnoxious about it and/or imposter syndrome, (ii) “copy” doesn’t mean becoming like them or doing it wholesale, it just means adopting minor mannerisms that make you a more effaceable executive, (iii) if this person is not your direct manager, then tread carefully.
Downwards: This goes without saying, but at the same time can be mind-boggling. Your interns/new grad hires are a massive source of how you can improve as a person, too. And the method is simple: simply ask them!
If you do not already have 1-to-1s with your direct reports, then it’s time to set them up. These coffee chats are not purely for you to do performance reviews (my take: cap it at 20%), but instead make that conversation a two-way street. Share your feedback/thoughts about their work, and let them do exactly the same for your work (of managing them!). Some questions I use:
- Company policy notwithstanding, what can I do to make your stay even more pleasurable?
- How can I improve as a person?
- Human-to-human, do you get peeved by anything I do?
- I remember that you wanted to develop yourself in XXX the last time. Have I given you enough guidance/feedback on that?
- I notice I said XXX to you at a regional meeting that day, what do you think?
Needless to say, keep the content of these sessions in strict confidence, and to take this to an even higher level, have your direct reports run this as your “PIP”!
Slightly more far-fetched: when HR asks them that age-old question of “how can your manager improve”, while other execs/analysts dread this question and write standard “NA” replies, you’re more likely to get a 4.5/5 star, and actually having your growth/improvement as an authentic, empathic, and pleasurable-to-be-around person charted and recorded in official company systems, making your promotions even easier.
Notes
If your career track is 100% technical/technological with zero developmental branch in people management, then stick to a skills tree.
If you are in direct sales/proprietorship, this obviously doesn’t apply to you. But never, ever treat your clients as stupid, because if you do, you lower your intellectual curiosity you bring to that conversation (imagine: preparing and telling yourself you have to complete a curriculum) and you massively reduce the opportunities you learn from your clients (‘Upwards’).
I am not a certified career coach, this is purely armchair advice.
Koh Kang Liang 