I bet one manager stands out for you...

“I’ve learned that people will forget what you said; people will forget what you did; but people will never forget how you made them feel.” - Maya Angelou

...and I should think that's because of the way they made you feel, right?

For me, Judith stands out. She was my Line Manager in my first charity sector role as a mental health support worker in Tottenham. I was 24 years old, having moved to London after my degree. And, within a year of starting the job, relationship problems had triggered my first episode of acute depression and anxiety. It was a very dark, scary time.

But, Judith's response to my mental health crisis has stuck with me for almost thirty years. It also helped me understand how to support my staff when I became a line Manager.

So, what did she do which made all the difference?

First of all, Judith listened non-judgmentally, with curiosity and an open-mind. This is so often what our staff need from us, rather than jumping to advice-mode. She also showed me empathy and compassion which was exactly what I needed. In so doing, she reduced my anxiety about work and made me feel like I was a valued member of the team.

(Reflection question: How often do I make the time to "just" listen to my staff, and respond with empathy and compassion?)

When I told Judith I was starting some strong medication and didn't know how I would react to it, she told me she "trusted me" to tell her what I could and couldn't do. In a situation where I most certainly did not feel in control, she helped to restore some of my shattered self-confidence and encouraged me to retain autonomy over my situation.

Terms like "reasonable adjustments" and "inclusion" weren't talked about much back then. But I know now that Judith epitomised inclusivity and compassionate leadership, both of which made me feel supported and have since inspired my own leadership journey.

Why am I sharing this with you? you may be asking.

Landing yourself an amazing line Manager is a matter of pot luck!

Too often these days, Charity Line Managers receive ZERO training and support in how to be a great line Manager. So if you're a natural "people person", skilled in the art of inspiring your team, then you may be an amazing line Manager for your staff.

But, if you're not that confident about being a line Manager, the chances are that you'll either try to avoid the messy line Management elements of your role altogether

Or,

despite feeling incompetent at line Managing, you'll plough on regardless, with inevitable negative consequences for your team e.g. low morale and job satisfaction plus high turnover.

Experts warn of the "abundantly clear" cost of poor management

In 2022, research from "People Management" found that 2 in 5 people had quit their jobs because of their line Managers.

What's more, their poll found that a whopping 3 in 5 people considering quitting, cited their "line manager" as the number one reason.

This isn't isolated research. And you all know instinctively how much of a difference a line manager can make, be that positive or negative.

The question is, can you afford NOT to take action? Read on for my FREE guide.

"Four Top Tips for Charity Line Managers"-my free guide

Now, those of you who've been following me for a while will know that I have a passion for all things leadership, especially Charity Leadership. Having spent 13 years running a small charity, I now work to empower charity leaders and their teams to boost their impact whilst thriving, through my business, Heart-Centred Leaders.

And, before you tell me you're not a leader, forgive me if, for now, I beg to differ (more about that in my next newsletter!).

So, a few weeks ago, I was chuffed to be invited to write an article for Ella Forums entitled "Four Top Tips for Charity Line Managers".

If you missed it, you can download it for free, below: https://heartcentredleaders.aweb.page/p/7f38662f-4ffb-4fdb-91c6-72371158e53e

Which of the four tips resonated with you, and why? I'd love to know.

What I have found in fifteen years of Line Managing staff is that it's often the small tweaks which make the biggest difference. So, it's most likely that you won't be needing to make any massive changes in order to uplift your line Management from "pretty good" to "sublime"!

Remember: It's ok to use work as your laboratory- trying out new techniques and strategies. You can always ditch them if they don't get you the outcomes you were hoping for!

One of my biggest Management lessons has been this:

" I am not a better line Manager if I am stressed, overwhelmed or crazy busy all the time. In fact, my team will suffer along with the quality of my work too." Fran Borg-Wheeler

Heart-Centred Leaders solution: The Confident Line Manager series

?? Drum roll please...

I am super excited to share that from the end of September, collaborator and fellow charity leader, Caroline Doran and I will be re-running our "Confident Line Manager" series.

We created this series specifically for Charity line Managers as they were telling us they wanted a bespoke development course created by people who understood the sector.

What does the Confident Line Manager series include?

???? Eight, one hour workshops for ￡55 each. Discounted price of ￡414 for the whole series.

???? You get to choose whether to attend one, some or all. And you get the recordings!

???? Workshop titles include: Values & Vision; Boundaries & Expectations; Productivity; Effective Delegation; Challenging Conversations; Developing Teams; Navigating Change, Thriving

Understanding first hand the challenges charity line Managers are facing at the moment, Caroline and I were determined to provide a low-cost; low time-commitment solution which offered support around line management skills and strategies.

?? 100% of delegates who fed back said they'd "recommend the workshops to a colleague!"

Here's the link with more info: https://heartcentredleaders.com/work-with-me/confident-line-manager

Do reach out if you have any questions or comments, or if you would like an invoice at [email protected]

If this isn't the right time for you atm, don't worry, my next newsletter will be full of lots more juicy tips to support you on your Line Manager or Leadership journey.

But, for now, I will leave you with this thought to ponder:

"My leadership legacy starts now if I choose to be intentional with my leadership approach." Fran Borg-Wheeler

Here's wishing you a wonderful couple of weeks and plenty of sunshine coming your way.