by Shanna A. Hocking
One of the most challenging parts of adjusting from being an individual contributor to becoming a leader is learning how to balance your team’s priorities and needs with your own projects and work.
When I first made this transition many years ago, I believed that always being available for my team was the best way to show team members I valued them. But I found myself getting further behind on my own work. So I would spend evenings at home catching up on my projects. I ended up feeling burned out and pulled in many directions. As I grappled with my own uncertainties about how to “do it all,” I also worried that senior management would determine I wasn’t ready to be a leader after all.
Though many managers feel uncertain about how to simultaneously support their team’s priorities and complete their own work, it’s not something that’s talked about openly. I often remind the senior leaders I coach that the purpose of a team is to achieve more than any one individual can, and that leaders should give themselves the same compassion they offer to their team members.
Learning how to balance your team’s priorities and your own sets you and the team up for success. Here’s what I recommend to effectively manage both aspects of your role:
Communicate consistently with your team
Start by developing a comprehensive understanding of what your team is working on and what they need from you. You can do this through one-on-one meetings with individual team members and collectively through team and project meetings.
Help your team thrive by communicating your vision, expectations, and ongoing support for them. They’ll feel better informed and more clear about how to do their best work, which will help them manage their projects and deadlines. Productive conversations can also help ensure that everyone is aligned toward the organization’s top priorities.
You may find that you need to support your team in how they’re balancing their own workloads. Prioritizing consistent, clear communication with your team may take more effort in the short term, which can be challenging when you’re already feeling overwhelmed. But it will ultimately be beneficial in the long term. And you can use these open lines of communication to share insights into your own work and projects to foster transparency and trust.
Focus on what you do best
Think about the things that only you can do as a leader and what will best serve the team—this is your best and highest use of time. Your job as a leader is to support your team in achieving their goals.
This doesn’t, however, mean being always available to your team’s requests. Supporting your team can also look like strategic planning, developing new organizational initiatives, and creating career development plans and pathways. You may find that it’s helpful to proactively block set time(s) on your calendar to work on your own projects. On some days, you may end up with only a 30- or 60-minute block available.
It’s valuable for leaders to learn how to make progress on bigger projects by working in smaller time increments. Even if the time occasionally gets filled with other time-sensitive meetings, you’re creating the intention to dedicate time toward your projects, rather than trying to fit them in as an afterthought.
Delegate to develop your team
As you develop as a leader, you must recognize that you can’t—nor should you—do everything you did as an individual contributor. It may feel uneasy to step back from day-to-day tasks, the very thing that likely got you promoted to your current role. But when you think through how to support your team and complete your own work, consider who else on your team can take on tasks and projects.
When relaying delegated tasks to your team, help them see how these projects fit into your vision and organization goals. Delegating thoughtfully and efficiently reduces your to-do list and provides growth opportunities for your team.
Prioritize your own learning, growth, and care
Your team counts on you and looks to you as a role model, so you must make time for your own learning and personal development. This can include journaling for a few minutes at the end of the workday or workweek, setting aside time to read articles or an industry publication, or attending an annual conference to build your support network. All of these things will help you be a more effective, strategic leader.
Great leaders also focus on their own rest, energy, and well-being. When you’re feeling unsure about whether you can afford to take this time, remember that this is an investment in yourself and your team.
Ultimately, your job as a leader is to guide, motivate, and support your team in achieving their goals—together. To do this well, you need to develop your ability to prioritize and lead yourself from a position of strength. This learning is an ongoing process. There will likely be moments in the future when your workload feels less aligned. But you can always refer to these tips to help get back on track and remember to rely on the great team you’ve built to support you, too.
Source: fastcompany.com