VP of Junk Drawer

A few years ago, or maybe more than a few, I was suddenly informed that I was being given added responsibilities – specifically that home office facilities would now be reporting to me.

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Half amused and half annoyed, I quipped, “I feel like I’m the VP of Junk Drawer. I seem to get all the functions that need a home or that other people don’t want.” To be clear, I’m a marketing guy, I know exactly nothing about HVAC systems or building renovations.

Here’s what I learned from the experience and other similar experiences I’ve had since: I learned the most about leadership once I was managing functions where I had zero expertise.

I’m certainly not alone in my natural tendency to want control the output of my team. And when it was marketing that I was leading, I had opinions about what to do and how to do it.

Knowing nothing about facilities management, I was nervous about my one-on-ones with the team lead. What would we talk about? How would I help her with issues? Where would I add value?

But, I’m a strong believer in one-on-ones. So we met weekly.

These were some of the best one-on-ones that I had had up to that point.

We talked about:

• How were things going with the team?
• Where did each individual excel? Where did they need coaching?
• Was the team structured the right way?
• What obstacles stopped the team from making progress?
• Where could I help clear obstacles?
• How could we better serve the organization?
• How should projects be prioritized?
• How should “bad news” be handled?
• What were my team lead’s career goals?
• Where did she want more experience or exposure?
• What did she hope to do next?

We did occasionally talk about HVAC and other technical topics. Usually, we’d laugh about it first because I had no idea about any of that stuff. But, I would ask questions and learn.

When something didn’t make sense I might say, “help me understand why …” which sometimes was educational for me. Other times, it led to new approaches and better solutions.

It was always collaborative.

Like I said, some of the best one-on-ones I’ve ever had.

Why?

Because I was leading, not managing. I was coaching, not task-delegating. I was learning, not dictating.

I know my direct report appreciated it. She told me so.

But I’m not sure I truly appreciated what I was learning from the experience until recently.

Because I had no choice but to rely on her expertise, I got to experience first hand the multiplicative power of truly taking on the role of “leader” as opposed to just “doing through others”.

I could not have written The Middle Matters: A Toolkit for Middle Managers without the experience of leading functions I knew nothing about.

So if you get the opportunity to lead a function or a project where you have no expertise, jump at the chance… you will learn and grow in unexpected ways if you stop trying to manage and control.

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This article was cross-posted on jeffsigel.com where you can find more about the book, coaching, and programs.