April 15, 2025 • 26 mins
Feeling caught in the "messy middle" of team leadership? Dive into this episode as we uncover the art of balancing team needs with leadership demands. Discover actionable strategies to align team goals, communicate effectively across all levels, and advocate for your team's needs without overwhelming them.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Tonya D. Harrison (00:10):
Welcome to Leveraging Operations in
Leadership podcast.
This is the show where we helpnew and frontline leaders
navigate the challenges of teammanagement while implementing
strong operational strategiesfor success.
I'm Tanya D Harrison, and todaywe're diving into a critical
topic.
We're going to be talking abouthow to lead your team while
(00:35):
managing senior leadershipexpectations.
I have to admit, middlemanagement was extremely
challenging for me, and this isone of the reasons why.
So, if you've ever felt caughtin the middle, balancing your
team's needs while keepingleadership satisfied, you are
(00:59):
not alone, and today I'm goingto walk you through seven
actionable strategies to helpyou successfully manage this
dynamic.
You are going to walk youthrough seven actionable
strategies to help yousuccessfully manage this dynamic
.
You are going to want to goahead, grab your tea or coffee,
your pen and paper so we can getstarted.
Let's get into it, okay.
So here are the sevenactionable strategies that I
(01:21):
want to share with you while youare hanging out in what I like
to call the messy middle.
Right, and it really doesn'thave to be that way, but this is
a state where you are early inyour leadership journey.
You are either a frontlinemanager or middle manager, right
?
This is kind of where you havesenior leadership that you
(01:45):
report to, and then you aremanaging the frontline staff,
you're managing the team thatactually does the work, and this
is going to require that youhave balance.
So you want to meet the needsof senior leaders, but then you
also need to meet the needs ofyour team as well.
So strategy number one and itis definitely number one for a
(02:10):
reason you need to align yourteam's goals with leadership
priorities.
The last thing you want to havehappen is that you and your
team are off and you guys aredoing some great things, but
they are not the things that area priority to leadership.
I've had that happen to me andwhat happens is is that you end
(02:35):
up being frustrated, your teamends up being frustrated and
senior leadership ends up beingfrustrated because it's not a
part of their priority.
One of the best ways to keepboth your team and senior
leadership on the same page isyou have to make sure that your
team's goals are aligned withthe organizational objectives
(02:58):
and with the priorities of yoursenior leader.
So how do you do this?
What you're going to do isyou're going to start by not
just understanding the company'sbig picture and vision, because
that is big Usually whathappens in larger organizations.
So mid to large organizations,even some smaller organizations
(03:19):
executive team and seniorleadership they'll go and they
will create a strategic plan.
This could be a three to fiveyear plan, but that plan is
broken down into yearly goalsand objectives.
You want to understand for 2025or whatever year you are in, you
want to understand what thosegoals and objectives are and you
(03:42):
want to understand the rolethat your team plays and in
order to do this, you reallyhave to have a real conversation
with your senior leader,because most senior leaders are
managing multiple departments.
So my last position I had sixdifferent departments that were
(04:03):
under me, right?
So, yes, we had one objectivefor the year, but each one of
them contributed to thatdifferently, and you want to
understand your team's role, andthe best way to do that is by
having a conversation.
Once you get really clear onwhat those objectives are, then
you're going to share them withyour team.
(04:25):
Basically, what you're sharingwith your team is the what that
needs to be done.
You want to get your team'sfeedback on the how it needs to
be done.
So, for instance, if a part ofyour yearly goal, let's say, you
are managing a customer servicedepartment and you want to
reduce wait time from fiveminutes to three minutes, that
(04:48):
is something that rolls into aleadership priority.
If that is what your goal isfor your area, you're going to
share that with your team andyou are going to get their
feedback as to how you can getthis done.
They're the ones that's doingit every single day.
Have them a part of thatconversation and then you
(05:12):
together collectively decidewhat initiatives you're going to
implement in order to make thathappen.
Now, your team.
They're clear on what theirassignment is.
They feel a part of thesolution.
They engage.
They provided you a part of thesolution.
They engage.
They provided you with some ofthe hows you came to an
agreement, and it also increasesaccountability.
(05:34):
It makes it easier for you tohold them accountable, but then
now they are holding themselvesand each other accountable, all
right.
And then, of course, you'regoing to have regular team
meetings.
You know where you are sharingupdates and things like that.
So, strategy number one alignyour team's goals with
leadership priorities.
(05:55):
All right, let's move on tostrategy number two.
The second thing you want to dois proactively communicate up,
down and all around.
Senior leaders do not likesurprises and your team doesn't
want to be confused, going backand forth and not understanding
(06:19):
what their priorities are.
So the key and this is one ofyour priorities is to keep the
information flowing smoothly.
Right, you want to understandhow your senior leader likes to
be informed of progress,challenges and updates, and this
could be a weekly email, adashboard, a scheduled
(06:42):
one-on-one.
Really meet with your leader,find out how they like
information and then providethem the information in that way
, but make sure you are keepingthem up to date.
And then, on the flip side, youalso want to be communicating
with your team as well.
As you're having theseconversations with senior
(07:04):
leaders and getting feedback,you want to share that
information with your team.
Of course, you can't shareconfidential information.
You want to take that intoconsideration, but at the same
time, you want to make sure thatyou are sharing information
with them.
If your senior leader is sayingthat they're doing a great job,
you want to share that.
If there's some feedback, youwant to share that as well.
(07:27):
All right, I hope you're stillwriting actionable strategy.
Number three Anticipateleadership needs and concerns.
Okay, so we know that feelingwhen leadership drops a last
minute request in your lap.
You know how that feels.
We want to try to minimize that.
(07:49):
So you want to stay ahead bypaying attention to whether it
be company trends, leadershippriorities and what they really
care about, and by havingconversations again with your
leader, you may be able to pickup on some things.
If you pick up on some thingsthat may sound like a different
(08:10):
priority than what you'vealready discussed, you want to
call that out.
You want to ask them are westill on track with reducing the
hold time in customer service?
Whatever that is, you want tomake sure that you continue to
remain aligned, but you alsowant to be in a position where
(08:33):
you are giving your team as muchadvance notice as possible if
something is going to changeright, and you want to be
prepared for it.
So just make sure you arereally in tune and paying
attention.
If you hear of a new initiative,you know that is coming down
the pipes, you go ahead and youverify that information and then
(08:55):
you want to start preparingyour team in terms of what this
may look like and make sure thatyou are bringing solutions and
not just problems One of thethings that we teach our staff
right and we want to make surewe're doing the same thing to
senior leaders is is that we arebringing solutions and we are
giving to how we can solve thisproblem, mitigate this risk,
(09:19):
whatever the case may be.
So, strategy number threeanticipate leadership needs and
concerns.
I know it's not always easy,but do the very best that you
can.
Strategy number four this onecan be a little challenging as
well, but it's going to be hugein success and it is going to be
(09:41):
huge when it comes to your team.
You want to manage workload andset realistic expectations.
Strategy number four you wantto manage workload and set
realistic expectations.
If leadership has and Iunderstand what I'm saying, and
it may be tough if you are inthe beginning stages but if
(10:04):
leadership has unrealisticexpectations, you have to push
back respectfully.
You have to push backrespectfully because there is a
fine line between being a highperforming leader and having a
high performing team and burningyour team out, and you do not
(10:25):
want to be the leader that burnstheir team out.
Listen, in this day and age, wehave a lot going on in the
world, right?
People have other things goingon besides, and they always have
, but it just seems like rightnow things are a lot more tense
(10:46):
and you want to make sure thatyou are considerate of that.
But, more importantly, you wantto make sure you're not burning
your team out when you'repushing back with leadership.
Respectfully right, you want tomake sure that you use data to
justify.
In this scenario, data is trulyyour friend and, as you're
(11:08):
sharing this information, you'llbe able to justify why a
timeline may need to be adjustedor a KPI may need to be
reconsidered.
So you want to make sure thatyou are using data to justify.
And then one of the things thatyou could do is is that, ok,
(11:29):
based off the current data andthe current resources, we're not
able to meet that projecttimeline, but you could also
share with them what resourcesor what you would need in order
to meet that timeline.
So say, for instance, they havea project timeline that is
really aggressive and it is bythe end of the month.
(11:52):
While you may not be able tomeet that project timeline with
your current resources, theremay be other things that they
could add or provide for you inorder to meet that.
You want to consider that.
Here's what we have.
Based on what we have, we'renot able to meet that timeline.
(12:12):
Here's the data that supportsthat.
However, with these additionalresources that will allow us to
meet this deadline, or if we areable to shift priorities that
may allow us to meet thedeadline.
So now you're not just saying,yeah, that's unrealistic, but
now you're giving options of ifthis is really and truly a
(12:36):
priority, here's what we coulddo to make that happen.
And then they have to make thedecision if they are willing to
approve the additional resourcesor reprioritize things.
Right Now, you've put the ballback in their park.
You definitely want to make surethat you are at least having
those conversations when it is aunrealistic expectation, and
(12:58):
then you want to make sure thatyou prioritize and filter tasks
before passing them out to yourteam.
Everything cannot be urgent.
If everything is urgent andeverything is a priority, that
means that nothing is a priority, and that may be another
conversation that you may end uphaving.
Right, you have five priorities.
Which one is truly the priority?
(13:20):
Right, Because, if it's notclear to you, you want to make
sure that you are getting thatclarity, because one of the
things you want to do is youwant to make sure that your team
stays productive without beingoverwhelmed.
Everything can't be a priority,and there may be a way that you
and your senior leader can comeup with a priority matrix, a
(13:42):
filtering system that you coulduse to kind of filter through
tasks to see what's a priorityor what level of priority it is.
So if you work in thehealthcare space, you know, okay
, does it directly impact thepatient?
Then does it impact providerspay, does it impact access to
care?
Like you know, you may have afiltering system that you kind
(14:04):
of run things through that canhelp you determine what is a
higher level of priority or not.
If not, you just want to makesure that you are having those
conversations with your seniorleader and together you are
determining what thosepriorities are.
All right, strategy number five, strategy number five and I
(14:25):
know I say that all of them areimportant because they all are.
But as a leader, this is huge,advocating for your team's need.
As a leader, you're your team'sbiggest advocate and
cheerleader.
They need your support,resources, clarity.
It is your role to communicatethat to leadership.
(14:48):
You want to make absolutelysure that you have your team's
back, make absolutely sure thatyou have your teams back and
when they need something, youare going and you are making
those requests Now, is there away that you can make those
requests that don't seem forlack of a better word whiny?
Yeah, absolutely.
(15:09):
One of the things we know isthat senior leaders speak in
terms of results and outcomes,and you want to start speaking
in that manner, as you want toalign your communication so that
it is more palatable to seniorleaders that they're going to
now listen and take it in, andone of the ways you do that is
(15:30):
reframing.
Instead of saying, in order tomeet this, you know this new KPI
or whatever the case may be weneed more staff.
Well, senior leaders hear thatall the time we need more staff,
we need more staff.
One of the things that youcould do is you could reframe it
and you could say with anadditional team member, we can
(15:55):
increase output by 30.
We can increase output by 20%,whatever that is, that sounds a
whole lot better to seniorleaders than just a can we need
more staff.
You need to be able to show whyyou need more staff, what you're
going to be able to accomplishwith more staff, or whatever the
(16:16):
request is.
You want to make sure that youlearn how to start reframing
information so that it does notfall on deaf ears, so that they
are more open and receptive tolisten to what it is that you
say, and I can tell you fromsitting in the senior leadership
seat for many years.
(16:37):
I heard a lot of times we needmore staff, but sometimes I
didn't get the second part.
I had to ask for it.
Okay, why do you need morestaff?
What do you expect toaccomplish with more staff?
Basically, I need to understandwhat is it that we're going to
be able to get with more staff,and this is information that you
want to be armed with, and ifyou can go to your leadership
(17:00):
team already armed with thisinformation before they ask you,
that is going to set you apart.
It also is going to positionyour team for success.
The other thing you want to dois celebrate and showcase your
team successes.
This is a part of advocatingfor your team.
Leadership is more likely toinvest in teams that are visibly
(17:21):
making an impact.
So you got that dashboard, theemail, the one-on-ones where
you're sharing information aswell, but also you want to share
not just your team success.
You want to highlightindividuals on your team.
If they stand up and they dosomething you want to be
celebrating and sharing that.
(17:41):
You really want to make surethat leadership understands what
your team has been able toaccomplish, who some of those
star players are on your team,because that is going to help
open up doors for them as well.
But leadership will start tolook at your team in a whole new
way if you are sharing thoseresults and don't just share
(18:06):
them with leadership.
You can share them acrossdepartments as well.
Make sure you are putting thatout there and you are advocating
for your team's needs and anyresources that they may need.
Again, we are not trying toburn our high performing team
out.
All righty, all right, allright, all right.
We got two more to go, so hopeyour pen has not run out of ink
(18:30):
because we are down to two more.
Strategy number six adapt andstay flexible.
I get it right.
Things are shifting, prioritiesare changing.
It can be a lot to manage, butyour ability to stay flexible
and lead through uncertainty isanother thing that's going to
(18:52):
set you apart.
You're not going to alwaysagree with the changes.
You're not going to alwaysunderstand the changes.
However, you do have to be agood change manager and you have
to be able to manage throughthe changes, when we are dealing
with uncertain times, whetherit's organizations that are
(19:13):
downsizing or, you know, makingchanges internally.
Whatever the case may be, itcan be tough, but you have to
find a way to remain positivethroughout it.
A lot of times, our team takesour lead, so if we are stressed,
depressed and frustrated, thenthat kind of rolls down to them.
(19:34):
We want to make sure that we arekeeping an open mind when
leadership introduces these newpivots or goals or whatever it
is, and we want to understandthe change as much as possible
so that we can guide our teamthrough the change and that we
can provide as much clarity aspossible and reassurance as
(19:58):
possible to our team.
Being adaptable showsleadership that you are.
You're strong and you aresolution oriented, but it also
shows your team the same thingthat you are strong and
supportive.
You want to make sure that youfind ways to do this.
Again, don't be afraid to askquestions of senior leadership.
(20:20):
There may be some times thatthey may not be able to disclose
all of the information, butdon't be afraid to ask questions
and get as much clarity aspossible and understand what you
can share and can't share withyour team and always remain
positive.
All right, this is our finalstrategy.
We're going to give you a headsup.
(20:40):
This is something that Istruggled with.
Part of it was being anintrovert and part of it was
because I did not fullyunderstand how valuable it was
and the impact that it couldhave on my career.
So strategy number seven buildstrong relationships across the
(21:03):
organization.
I was one of those ones that Ijust kept my head down.
It was me and my team.
I stayed in my department.
I didn't go to otherdepartments, to other divisions
and things like that.
I did not initially.
I did not build thoserelationships across the
organization.
But one thing that you have tokeep in mind is that your
(21:24):
influence isn't just about whatyou know.
It's also about who you know.
Make sure that you are takingtime to strengthen those
relationships with key decisionmakers, people from other teams,
other peers, making sure thatyou are stretching out across
those lines.
(21:45):
This does two things.
It opened the doors for you,because you'll start to realize
that people are havingconversations in rooms that you
may not initially be in, butthen you'll start being invited
to more rooms.
The other thing is it openeddoors for your team as well,
because you're not just whenyou're reaching out and you're
(22:06):
building these relationships,you're not just talking about
yourself, you're talking aboutyour team as well.
So it puts them in a new lightas well.
And when leadership trusts youand your judgment, they will be
more receptive to your input,they will invite you to provide
(22:26):
your input, but then it's goingto have a heavier weight as well
.
So make sure you are buildingthose strong relationships, make
sure that you are, you know,having conversations with peers
and building relationships withother teams.
And I have to tell you, when Ifigured this out, it was huge.
(22:47):
It had a huge impact on mycareer.
I started to get promotedquicker.
I had people from other teamsthat wanted to now be a part of
my team, and it also openeddoors for my team to go into
other departments.
Because, keep in mind, we don'talways have those positions or
(23:11):
that upward mobility in ourdepartment.
So we want to make sure that wedon't stunt the growth of our
team.
We want to make sure that theycan go into another department
and they can, you know, maybe besuccessful there, because if
I'm the manager of the area andthere's only one manager, if
they are a team leader or asupervisor, there may not be any
(23:33):
place to go, so they may needto go to another department in
order to be a manager.
Making sure that you are doingthat, like I said, is really
effective.
But it's not just about you,it's about your team as well.
Collaboration across teamsEncourage your teams to
collaborate and spend time inother departments.
(23:55):
One of the things that we didin one organization that I went
to is that we had, where weallowed, departments that were
close to us, where you knowthere may be some shared
responsibilities or informationflowed from them to us, or
whatever the case may be.
I allow my team to go and sitwith some of their staff to see
(24:16):
how they do things, tounderstand the back end of their
processes, and that was huge interms of improving efficiency
and communication with eachother, because, at the end of
the day, we work for theorganization and we all want to
be successful, but you want tomake sure that your team is
successful and they are thrivingand they are not overwhelmed,
(24:40):
and being able to have them dothis is extremely helpful.
Those, those are sevenactionable steps To wrap things
up.
Basically, lead the team whilemanaging senior leadership
expectations is all aboutbalance.
We talked about sevenactionable strategies that you
can implement and, if we have toboil that down, basically
(25:04):
aligning goals, clearcommunication, proactive
planning and strong advocacywill set you up for success.
Go back, listen to this.
If there is one particular areathat you want to learn more
about, let me know, because I'mactually considering doing maybe
(25:24):
a segment on each of these, butI have so many other topics
that I want to talk about.
But if there is one that youreally feel strongly about and
you want to learn more about,just kind of drop me a line and
let me know.
Also, remember, leadership isnot just about managing.
It's about strategicallypositioning yourself and your
team to thrive.
If you found this episodehelpful, be sure to subscribe,
(25:48):
share and leave me a review.
And again, if you want to learnmore about one of these
specific strategies, drop me aline and let me know.
And then also, if you are justin general, if you're looking
for more leadership strategies,be sure to connect with me on
LinkedIn, tanya D Harrison.
(26:08):
I share information there aswell.
Thanks for tuning in toLeveraging Operations and
Leadership and, until next time,keep leading with purpose and
strategy.
Talk to you soon.
Bye.
Welcome to Leveraging Operations in
Leadership podcast.
This is the show where we helpnew and frontline leaders
navigate the challenges of teammanagement while implementing
strong operational strategiesfor success.
I'm Tanya D Harrison, and todaywe're diving into a critical
topic.
We're going to be talking abouthow to lead your team while
(00:35):
managing senior leadershipexpectations.
I have to admit, middlemanagement was extremely
challenging for me, and this isone of the reasons why.
So, if you've ever felt caughtin the middle, balancing your
team's needs while keepingleadership satisfied, you are
(00:59):
not alone, and today I'm goingto walk you through seven
actionable strategies to helpyou successfully manage this
dynamic.
You are going to walk youthrough seven actionable
strategies to help yousuccessfully manage this dynamic
.
You are going to want to goahead, grab your tea or coffee,
your pen and paper so we can getstarted.
Let's get into it, okay.
So here are the sevenactionable strategies that I
(01:21):
want to share with you while youare hanging out in what I like
to call the messy middle.
Right, and it really doesn'thave to be that way, but this is
a state where you are early inyour leadership journey.
You are either a frontlinemanager or middle manager, right
?
This is kind of where you havesenior leadership that you
(01:45):
report to, and then you aremanaging the frontline staff,
you're managing the team thatactually does the work, and this
is going to require that youhave balance.
So you want to meet the needsof senior leaders, but then you
also need to meet the needs ofyour team as well.
So strategy number one and itis definitely number one for a
(02:10):
reason you need to align yourteam's goals with leadership
priorities.
The last thing you want to havehappen is that you and your
team are off and you guys aredoing some great things, but
they are not the things that area priority to leadership.
I've had that happen to me andwhat happens is is that you end
(02:35):
up being frustrated, your teamends up being frustrated and
senior leadership ends up beingfrustrated because it's not a
part of their priority.
One of the best ways to keepboth your team and senior
leadership on the same page isyou have to make sure that your
team's goals are aligned withthe organizational objectives
(02:58):
and with the priorities of yoursenior leader.
So how do you do this?
What you're going to do isyou're going to start by not
just understanding the company'sbig picture and vision, because
that is big Usually whathappens in larger organizations.
So mid to large organizations,even some smaller organizations
(03:19):
executive team and seniorleadership they'll go and they
will create a strategic plan.
This could be a three to fiveyear plan, but that plan is
broken down into yearly goalsand objectives.
You want to understand for 2025or whatever year you are in, you
want to understand what thosegoals and objectives are and you
(03:42):
want to understand the rolethat your team plays and in
order to do this, you reallyhave to have a real conversation
with your senior leader,because most senior leaders are
managing multiple departments.
So my last position I had sixdifferent departments that were
(04:03):
under me, right?
So, yes, we had one objectivefor the year, but each one of
them contributed to thatdifferently, and you want to
understand your team's role, andthe best way to do that is by
having a conversation.
Once you get really clear onwhat those objectives are, then
you're going to share them withyour team.
(04:25):
Basically, what you're sharingwith your team is the what that
needs to be done.
You want to get your team'sfeedback on the how it needs to
be done.
So, for instance, if a part ofyour yearly goal, let's say, you
are managing a customer servicedepartment and you want to
reduce wait time from fiveminutes to three minutes, that
(04:48):
is something that rolls into aleadership priority.
If that is what your goal isfor your area, you're going to
share that with your team andyou are going to get their
feedback as to how you can getthis done.
They're the ones that's doingit every single day.
Have them a part of thatconversation and then you
(05:12):
together collectively decidewhat initiatives you're going to
implement in order to make thathappen.
Now, your team.
They're clear on what theirassignment is.
They feel a part of thesolution.
They engage.
They provided you a part of thesolution.
They engage.
They provided you with some ofthe hows you came to an
agreement, and it also increasesaccountability.
(05:34):
It makes it easier for you tohold them accountable, but then
now they are holding themselvesand each other accountable, all
right.
And then, of course, you'regoing to have regular team
meetings.
You know where you are sharingupdates and things like that.
So, strategy number one alignyour team's goals with
leadership priorities.
(05:55):
All right, let's move on tostrategy number two.
The second thing you want to dois proactively communicate up,
down and all around.
Senior leaders do not likesurprises and your team doesn't
want to be confused, going backand forth and not understanding
(06:19):
what their priorities are.
So the key and this is one ofyour priorities is to keep the
information flowing smoothly.
Right, you want to understandhow your senior leader likes to
be informed of progress,challenges and updates, and this
could be a weekly email, adashboard, a scheduled
(06:42):
one-on-one.
Really meet with your leader,find out how they like
information and then providethem the information in that way
, but make sure you are keepingthem up to date.
And then, on the flip side, youalso want to be communicating
with your team as well.
As you're having theseconversations with senior
(07:04):
leaders and getting feedback,you want to share that
information with your team.
Of course, you can't shareconfidential information.
You want to take that intoconsideration, but at the same
time, you want to make sure thatyou are sharing information
with them.
If your senior leader is sayingthat they're doing a great job,
you want to share that.
If there's some feedback, youwant to share that as well.
(07:27):
All right, I hope you're stillwriting actionable strategy.
Number three Anticipateleadership needs and concerns.
Okay, so we know that feelingwhen leadership drops a last
minute request in your lap.
You know how that feels.
We want to try to minimize that.
(07:49):
So you want to stay ahead bypaying attention to whether it
be company trends, leadershippriorities and what they really
care about, and by havingconversations again with your
leader, you may be able to pickup on some things.
If you pick up on some thingsthat may sound like a different
(08:10):
priority than what you'vealready discussed, you want to
call that out.
You want to ask them are westill on track with reducing the
hold time in customer service?
Whatever that is, you want tomake sure that you continue to
remain aligned, but you alsowant to be in a position where
(08:33):
you are giving your team as muchadvance notice as possible if
something is going to changeright, and you want to be
prepared for it.
So just make sure you arereally in tune and paying
attention.
If you hear of a new initiative,you know that is coming down
the pipes, you go ahead and youverify that information and then
(08:55):
you want to start preparingyour team in terms of what this
may look like and make sure thatyou are bringing solutions and
not just problems One of thethings that we teach our staff
right and we want to make surewe're doing the same thing to
senior leaders is is that we arebringing solutions and we are
giving to how we can solve thisproblem, mitigate this risk,
(09:19):
whatever the case may be.
So, strategy number threeanticipate leadership needs and
concerns.
I know it's not always easy,but do the very best that you
can.
Strategy number four this onecan be a little challenging as
well, but it's going to be hugein success and it is going to be
(09:41):
huge when it comes to your team.
You want to manage workload andset realistic expectations.
Strategy number four you wantto manage workload and set
realistic expectations.
If leadership has and Iunderstand what I'm saying, and
it may be tough if you are inthe beginning stages but if
(10:04):
leadership has unrealisticexpectations, you have to push
back respectfully.
You have to push backrespectfully because there is a
fine line between being a highperforming leader and having a
high performing team and burningyour team out, and you do not
(10:25):
want to be the leader that burnstheir team out.
Listen, in this day and age, wehave a lot going on in the
world, right?
People have other things goingon besides, and they always have
, but it just seems like rightnow things are a lot more tense
(10:46):
and you want to make sure thatyou are considerate of that.
But, more importantly, you wantto make sure you're not burning
your team out when you'repushing back with leadership.
Respectfully right, you want tomake sure that you use data to
justify.
In this scenario, data is trulyyour friend and, as you're
(11:08):
sharing this information, you'llbe able to justify why a
timeline may need to be adjustedor a KPI may need to be
reconsidered.
So you want to make sure thatyou are using data to justify.
And then one of the things thatyou could do is is that, ok,
(11:29):
based off the current data andthe current resources, we're not
able to meet that projecttimeline, but you could also
share with them what resourcesor what you would need in order
to meet that timeline.
So say, for instance, they havea project timeline that is
really aggressive and it is bythe end of the month.
(11:52):
While you may not be able tomeet that project timeline with
your current resources, theremay be other things that they
could add or provide for you inorder to meet that.
You want to consider that.
Here's what we have.
Based on what we have, we'renot able to meet that timeline.
(12:12):
Here's the data that supportsthat.
However, with these additionalresources that will allow us to
meet this deadline, or if we areable to shift priorities that
may allow us to meet thedeadline.
So now you're not just saying,yeah, that's unrealistic, but
now you're giving options of ifthis is really and truly a
(12:36):
priority, here's what we coulddo to make that happen.
And then they have to make thedecision if they are willing to
approve the additional resourcesor reprioritize things.
Right Now, you've put the ballback in their park.
You definitely want to make surethat you are at least having
those conversations when it is aunrealistic expectation, and
(12:58):
then you want to make sure thatyou prioritize and filter tasks
before passing them out to yourteam.
Everything cannot be urgent.
If everything is urgent andeverything is a priority, that
means that nothing is a priority, and that may be another
conversation that you may end uphaving.
Right, you have five priorities.
Which one is truly the priority?
(13:20):
Right, Because, if it's notclear to you, you want to make
sure that you are getting thatclarity, because one of the
things you want to do is youwant to make sure that your team
stays productive without beingoverwhelmed.
Everything can't be a priority,and there may be a way that you
and your senior leader can comeup with a priority matrix, a
(13:42):
filtering system that you coulduse to kind of filter through
tasks to see what's a priorityor what level of priority it is.
So if you work in thehealthcare space, you know, okay
, does it directly impact thepatient?
Then does it impact providerspay, does it impact access to
care?
Like you know, you may have afiltering system that you kind
(14:04):
of run things through that canhelp you determine what is a
higher level of priority or not.
If not, you just want to makesure that you are having those
conversations with your seniorleader and together you are
determining what thosepriorities are.
All right, strategy number five, strategy number five and I
(14:25):
know I say that all of them areimportant because they all are.
But as a leader, this is huge,advocating for your team's need.
As a leader, you're your team'sbiggest advocate and
cheerleader.
They need your support,resources, clarity.
It is your role to communicatethat to leadership.
(14:48):
You want to make absolutelysure that you have your team's
back, make absolutely sure thatyou have your teams back and
when they need something, youare going and you are making
those requests Now, is there away that you can make those
requests that don't seem forlack of a better word whiny?
Yeah, absolutely.
(15:09):
One of the things we know isthat senior leaders speak in
terms of results and outcomes,and you want to start speaking
in that manner, as you want toalign your communication so that
it is more palatable to seniorleaders that they're going to
now listen and take it in, andone of the ways you do that is
(15:30):
reframing.
Instead of saying, in order tomeet this, you know this new KPI
or whatever the case may be weneed more staff.
Well, senior leaders hear thatall the time we need more staff,
we need more staff.
One of the things that youcould do is you could reframe it
and you could say with anadditional team member, we can
(15:55):
increase output by 30.
We can increase output by 20%,whatever that is, that sounds a
whole lot better to seniorleaders than just a can we need
more staff.
You need to be able to show whyyou need more staff, what you're
going to be able to accomplishwith more staff, or whatever the
(16:16):
request is.
You want to make sure that youlearn how to start reframing
information so that it does notfall on deaf ears, so that they
are more open and receptive tolisten to what it is that you
say, and I can tell you fromsitting in the senior leadership
seat for many years.
(16:37):
I heard a lot of times we needmore staff, but sometimes I
didn't get the second part.
I had to ask for it.
Okay, why do you need morestaff?
What do you expect toaccomplish with more staff?
Basically, I need to understandwhat is it that we're going to
be able to get with more staff,and this is information that you
want to be armed with, and ifyou can go to your leadership
(17:00):
team already armed with thisinformation before they ask you,
that is going to set you apart.
It also is going to positionyour team for success.
The other thing you want to dois celebrate and showcase your
team successes.
This is a part of advocatingfor your team.
Leadership is more likely toinvest in teams that are visibly
(17:21):
making an impact.
So you got that dashboard, theemail, the one-on-ones where
you're sharing information aswell, but also you want to share
not just your team success.
You want to highlightindividuals on your team.
If they stand up and they dosomething you want to be
celebrating and sharing that.
(17:41):
You really want to make surethat leadership understands what
your team has been able toaccomplish, who some of those
star players are on your team,because that is going to help
open up doors for them as well.
But leadership will start tolook at your team in a whole new
way if you are sharing thoseresults and don't just share
(18:06):
them with leadership.
You can share them acrossdepartments as well.
Make sure you are putting thatout there and you are advocating
for your team's needs and anyresources that they may need.
Again, we are not trying toburn our high performing team
out.
All righty, all right, allright, all right.
We got two more to go, so hopeyour pen has not run out of ink
(18:30):
because we are down to two more.
Strategy number six adapt andstay flexible.
I get it right.
Things are shifting, prioritiesare changing.
It can be a lot to manage, butyour ability to stay flexible
and lead through uncertainty isanother thing that's going to
(18:52):
set you apart.
You're not going to alwaysagree with the changes.
You're not going to alwaysunderstand the changes.
However, you do have to be agood change manager and you have
to be able to manage throughthe changes, when we are dealing
with uncertain times, whetherit's organizations that are
(19:13):
downsizing or, you know, makingchanges internally.
Whatever the case may be, itcan be tough, but you have to
find a way to remain positivethroughout it.
A lot of times, our team takesour lead, so if we are stressed,
depressed and frustrated, thenthat kind of rolls down to them.
(19:34):
We want to make sure that we arekeeping an open mind when
leadership introduces these newpivots or goals or whatever it
is, and we want to understandthe change as much as possible
so that we can guide our teamthrough the change and that we
can provide as much clarity aspossible and reassurance as
(19:58):
possible to our team.
Being adaptable showsleadership that you are.
You're strong and you aresolution oriented, but it also
shows your team the same thingthat you are strong and
supportive.
You want to make sure that youfind ways to do this.
Again, don't be afraid to askquestions of senior leadership.
(20:20):
There may be some times thatthey may not be able to disclose
all of the information, butdon't be afraid to ask questions
and get as much clarity aspossible and understand what you
can share and can't share withyour team and always remain
positive.
All right, this is our finalstrategy.
We're going to give you a headsup.
(20:40):
This is something that Istruggled with.
Part of it was being anintrovert and part of it was
because I did not fullyunderstand how valuable it was
and the impact that it couldhave on my career.
So strategy number seven buildstrong relationships across the
(21:03):
organization.
I was one of those ones that Ijust kept my head down.
It was me and my team.
I stayed in my department.
I didn't go to otherdepartments, to other divisions
and things like that.
I did not initially.
I did not build thoserelationships across the
organization.
But one thing that you have tokeep in mind is that your
(21:24):
influence isn't just about whatyou know.
It's also about who you know.
Make sure that you are takingtime to strengthen those
relationships with key decisionmakers, people from other teams,
other peers, making sure thatyou are stretching out across
those lines.
(21:45):
This does two things.
It opened the doors for you,because you'll start to realize
that people are havingconversations in rooms that you
may not initially be in, butthen you'll start being invited
to more rooms.
The other thing is it openeddoors for your team as well,
because you're not just whenyou're reaching out and you're
(22:06):
building these relationships,you're not just talking about
yourself, you're talking aboutyour team as well.
So it puts them in a new lightas well.
And when leadership trusts youand your judgment, they will be
more receptive to your input,they will invite you to provide
(22:26):
your input, but then it's goingto have a heavier weight as well
.
So make sure you are buildingthose strong relationships, make
sure that you are, you know,having conversations with peers
and building relationships withother teams.
And I have to tell you, when Ifigured this out, it was huge.
(22:47):
It had a huge impact on mycareer.
I started to get promotedquicker.
I had people from other teamsthat wanted to now be a part of
my team, and it also openeddoors for my team to go into
other departments.
Because, keep in mind, we don'talways have those positions or
(23:11):
that upward mobility in ourdepartment.
So we want to make sure that wedon't stunt the growth of our
team.
We want to make sure that theycan go into another department
and they can, you know, maybe besuccessful there, because if
I'm the manager of the area andthere's only one manager, if
they are a team leader or asupervisor, there may not be any
(23:33):
place to go, so they may needto go to another department in
order to be a manager.
Making sure that you are doingthat, like I said, is really
effective.
But it's not just about you,it's about your team as well.
Collaboration across teamsEncourage your teams to
collaborate and spend time inother departments.
(23:55):
One of the things that we didin one organization that I went
to is that we had, where weallowed, departments that were
close to us, where you knowthere may be some shared
responsibilities or informationflowed from them to us, or
whatever the case may be.
I allow my team to go and sitwith some of their staff to see
(24:16):
how they do things, tounderstand the back end of their
processes, and that was huge interms of improving efficiency
and communication with eachother, because, at the end of
the day, we work for theorganization and we all want to
be successful, but you want tomake sure that your team is
successful and they are thrivingand they are not overwhelmed,
(24:40):
and being able to have them dothis is extremely helpful.
Those, those are sevenactionable steps To wrap things
up.
Basically, lead the team whilemanaging senior leadership
expectations is all aboutbalance.
We talked about sevenactionable strategies that you
can implement and, if we have toboil that down, basically
(25:04):
aligning goals, clearcommunication, proactive
planning and strong advocacywill set you up for success.
Go back, listen to this.
If there is one particular areathat you want to learn more
about, let me know, because I'mactually considering doing maybe
(25:24):
a segment on each of these, butI have so many other topics
that I want to talk about.
But if there is one that youreally feel strongly about and
you want to learn more about,just kind of drop me a line and
let me know.
Also, remember, leadership isnot just about managing.
It's about strategicallypositioning yourself and your
team to thrive.
If you found this episodehelpful, be sure to subscribe,
(25:48):
share and leave me a review.
And again, if you want to learnmore about one of these
specific strategies, drop me aline and let me know.
And then also, if you are justin general, if you're looking
for more leadership strategies,be sure to connect with me on
LinkedIn, tanya D Harrison.
(26:08):
I share information there aswell.
Thanks for tuning in toLeveraging Operations and
Leadership and, until next time,keep leading with purpose and
strategy.
Talk to you soon.
Bye.
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