Disadvantages were identified as:
- unnecessary/increased workload for the team leader
- avoidable/increased stress for the team leader
- time not spent in their role as managers
- restrictions on their own development
- limiting staff development
- lack of staff job satisfaction potentially leading to them leaving the firm.
Solutions to retaining too much control included, first recognising that is what you are doing; identifying the areas of strength of individual members of staff and their specialisms; and trusting them to do the job. “Delegation is core to management. It’s having the best person do that job in the overall scheme and more often than not that person is not you.”
It is also important to identify where there are training and development needs, what they are and arrange for them to be met.
“The more you trust and give staff to do, the greater their confidence grows and your confidence grows in them.” It can be a symbiotic development.
It was clear that a number of delegates were carrying their teams or specific individuals by taking on too much work themselves. Again, it was identified that by doing this neither the team nor the team leader were benefiting and it is a situation that has to be tackled. “Your team won’t be learning and the risk is they will never progress.”
This spilled into team leaders wanting to remain on friendly terms with team members. It can be difficult to go from colleague to manager, with the incumbent responsibilities of that role. As one delegate said: “I don’t want to be too tough. I want them to talk to me.”
Those who had been managing for a while said it was possible to be part of the team while also managing it, but it was about achieving balance. “You can care about your team and stay friends with them, but you have to know where to draw the line.”
One way to do that, others suggested, was to be consistent in the standards you require and in your dealings with the team.
Recruiting and HR
One of the key take-aways from Jackie Boylan’s presentation was that successful team leaders build strong teams around them. Her advice to never settle for someone who ‘will do’ for a job, but to hold out for the person you know really fits the role, both to have the best team and to avoid problems further down the line, resonated with team leaders and was echoed in the peer-to-peer sessions.
“Recruitment is a fantastic part of leadership because you get to choose who you work with,” delegates were advised. “There is always someone better than you. Good managers recruit and nurture them. They recruit at the next level up from the role being advertised. That way they raise the bar through their recruitment strategy. Also, with the business in mind, it means there is a successor to you when you want to move on.”
On the flip side of this, how to handle difficult individuals also was raised as an issue, especially where a paraplanner team was ‘inherited’ by the team leader.
As tough as it was to deal with it, this was not an issue that could be shirked, delegates advised.
With difficult characters, starting from a point of empathy was advised as there may well be issues in or out of work affecting the individual. Getting to the cause of those issues was important. It could be change within the business or outside it.
Where the business needs things done or change occurs, delegates said, it was important to explain what management wanted and the reasons for it and to reassure people of management goals.
Where an individual is not meeting standards, delegates advised team leaders should provide constant feedback so the person knows exactly what is expected of them and where they may not be meeting expectations and to work on ways to improve that situation.
It is also important that is documented in some way, because there will be times when a person simply doesn’t want to fit in. “Sometimes there are tough decisions to be made.”
Support
Another key message was that it’s not just about the team. Your own wellbeing and achieving your own work/life balance must feature highly too.
Delegates admitted that being a team leader can feel lonely at times. “It is important to be aware of this and know where to get the support you need in the role.”
Finding a mentor or a coach within or external to a firm was recommended for any team leader. Also, networking with like-minded people whether internal or external to an organisation can provide useful contacts for discussions around management issues and best practice.
Other Team Leader Events 2020
Professional Paraplanner is looking to run further Team Leader Seminars at selected venues around the country. If you would be interested in attending a seminar, please email [email protected]providing your contact details and company name and address.
SEE ALSO our Technical Insight Seminars and Investment Committee Seminars part of our 2020 series of events being held exclusively for paraplanners around the country.
Page: 1 2
