Teach ‘Em to Fish ??

Early on in my career as a leader, voices from my childhood would cloud my head with phrases like “Mean what you say and say what you mean” and “If you want it done right you have to do it yourself.” As a believer of being a person of your word, the 1st phrase is still one I allow residency between my ears to keep me accountable to the expectations I set for myself and others.

The 2nd phrase however, now that’s a phrase I have had to work hard to remove from my childhood scripting and self-talk. Sorry Mom! I know that one is a favorite of hers but as a leader, it will hinder you.

When I was young, I came across the Chinese proverb, “Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime.” It wasn’t until I learned the difference between a manager and a leader that I truly understood how to apply its meaning and put it to use. The difference between a manager and a leader is this: A manager manages things; A leader leads people.

Anyone can be put into a management position. Employees are either hired from outside the organization or promoted from within and the only guidance they're given is on department expectations and job requirements. The majority of America's managers have not received formal management training. To keep pace, 42% of new managers admit they developed their style by observing and mimicking a previous manager. In other words, they learn how to manage from "the school of hard knocks." Employee by employee, manager by manager, the cycle of bad management continues. It's because of this exact reason 75% of employees leave their job because of their direct supervisor - we're setting them up for failure!

I believe enablement to be a learned behavior. We are creating an environment of learned helplessness by not giving our managers the proper skillset to grow into great leaders. To maximize employee engagement, a manager should be?both a coach and a mentor. And to attract and retain staffers, managers must be capable of having regular career conversations.?The responsibility has never been greater for those who oversee employees.

Today's managers lack the proper soft skills and spend too much time telling and doing and little of inspiring and empowering. They tend to get bogged down with the concept of 'overseeing' day to day tasks and wonder why employees are not happy, why they’re not getting the most out of their people, or why they may be experiencing turnover.

Effective communication is the foundation for solid leadership. If you aren’t spending 35-45% of your time coaching and inspiring people to grow and be better each day, then you’re taking on the sole role of a supervisor. Leadership consists of wearing many hats - Not just the one you were given when you were assumed the role of manager.

Teach them to fish, coach them how to continue to grow in their role and train them well enough so they can leave. The caveat? Treat them well enough so they don’t want to.

To learn about our 12-week Management Accelerated Program, reach out to us today - Currently running 4 cohorts a year.