This is the last of a 4-part series about Jen’s story. Jen is a new leader who is in the throes of transition. She had an excellent track record in the Operations Department, and as a result was promoted to Operations Director. Now Jen is trying to navigate all of the tasks involved with leadership. It’s been 3 months and the road has been a little bumpy. Jen is learning quickly that she can’t always rely on her operations expertise to be an effective leader. She’s struggling with the daily problems that need to be fixed, her staff’s frustrations, and demanding customers who contact her about various issues. If this sounds familiar to you, it is time for you and your own “Jen” to take a step back and look at the big picture. Being a leader means walking a fine line between doing the work and leading the team. Leadership is about making decisions based on entirely different criteria. Consider what the real issues are, the pain points that are stalling the team, and then brainstorm solutions that align with your organization’s goals and objectives. In Jen’s story, the fact that she is feeling down while still new in her role is normal. This feeling is part of her transition into leadership. She’s leaving behind what she knew well and hasn’t yet painted a picture of success for herself in a leadership role. Consider this coaching framework for new and emerging leaders:
Here’s how it works, using Jen as an example:
Coach the critical success factors for the operations department. This discussion is framed in a process approach; knowing and understanding key process steps, inputs, outputs, suppliers and customers.
Align the critical success factors with leadership development needs for Jen. What is needed from her leadership role? How can she best communicate? What are the milestones and markers for her success?
Develop actions and accountabilities using tools and frameworks that will not only help her know and understand herself better as a leader, but also how to execute more effectively as a leader.
This is an effective approach for business results and leadership growth and the perfect opportunity to break-through leadership transition and achieve success. Give me a call, or send me an email. Let’s talk about your leaders and your teams – are they getting the results you need?
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