How to Tell Youre Ready to Be a Manager at Work - The Muse

How to Tell Youre Ready to Be a Manager at Work - The MuseHow to Tell Youre Ready to Be a Manager at Work Youre interested in stepping up into a management role with your current company, but theres just one question that keeps nagging at you Are you ready?Sure, youve produced consistently great results in your existing position and have forged some solid bonds with many of your colleagues. Youre proud of that- but, youre also unsure of whether or elend that truly means youre cut out for a step up the proverbial ladder.Fortunately, there are a few other telltale signs you can keep your eye out for that will help you figure out whether or not youre actually management material.1. Youre Actually Excited About Answering QuestionsYour colleague drops by your desk unexpectedly with a question about a sales report shes compiling. How do you react? Do you see it as a hassle thats only throwing a major wrench in your workday? Or, do you view it as an opportunity? Heres an important thing to remember Being a manager means people are going to come to you with questions- and a lot of them. If the thought of that alone makes you clench your jaw, you might not be ready to make the sacrifice of stepping away from your own to-do list in favor of guiding others. But, if the chance to help other people learn and grow fills you with genuine enthusiasm? Well, a management roles calling your name. 2. Youre Comfortable Giving Up a Little ControlI know exactly what youre thinking Wait, what? Being a manager means I get even more control, doesnt it?Yes, technically, you get the title that warrants you bossing everybody else around. However, managing a team actually involves releasing some control. Youll have to trust that your direct reports are getting things done correctly- without being able to oversee every small detail.Put simply, youll have all of the accountability for what is produced, without being able to have your finger in every single pie, so to speak. Youll need to loos en the reins and empower others- even when they do things differently than you might have done them yourself. 3. Youre Eager to Be More CollaborativeYour team meeting is the highlight of your week, rather than the bane of your existence. You get genuinely excited to head into a brainstorming session, rather than looking at it as another logjam in your already packed calendar.A management role comes with lots and lots of meetings. Youll need to do regular sit-downs and check-ins with your team- both as a group and individually. Youll have to put your heads together with other supervisors and department leaders.In fruchtwein cases, youre going to spend a solid chunk of your workweek away from your desk. You wont get a hr of time to put on your headphones and be heads down in your own work for hours at a time.Sounds horrible? You might not only be better as an individual contributor- youll probably be happier too. 4. Youre Already Known as a Problem SolverLike I mentioned earlier, mana gers need to act as resources for other people- particularly those who work directly under them. If youre already looked at as that go-to guide within your company, thats a solid indicator that youre ready to take on some more formal leadership duties.Everybody within your company- whether its a peer or a leader- knows that they can bring you a problem or a challenge, and youll roll up your sleeves and find a way to solve it. Youre actually motivated by identifying a way around those sticky situations. When thats the case, rest assured, you arent just ready to be a good manager- youre ready to be a great one. 5. Youre Invested in Other Peoples Success as Much as Your OwnIf one of your team members fails, youve failed. And, if one of your team members succeeds, you succeed.Its the most effective leaders who recognize that deceptively simple fact. Theyre highly invested in the growth and development of their direct reports- oftentimes, they prioritize that ahead of anything else (incl uding their own advancement). Ask yourself How do you feel when somebody in your company achieves a major win? Are you filled with jealousy, or are you the one spearheading the celebration? Falling into that second category is a pretty reliable sign that youre a good fit for some leadership responsibilities. You dont want to become a manager for the sake of the title or the money (although, lets face it- those are definitely nice perks). If youre going to step up and accept a larger role within your company, you want to feel at least somewhat confident that youll do a good job with it.It can be challenging to tell whether or not youre truly ready to do that. But, keeping your eyes peeled for these five signs will help you determine if youre truly ready to take on that more demanding position.

What Steve Jobs did to get the best feedback from employees

What Steve Jobs did to get the best feedback from employeesWhat Steve Jobs did to get the best feedback from employeesNo one likes telling the boss bad news, but when youre a manager, your success depends on knowing what your employees know and think. You cannot be surrounded by yes-people. So how do you get honest feedback from reticent employees? To get the best feedback, take note from Apple co-founder and Pixar former CEO Steve Jobs approach to it - dont make feedback an optional question, make it a demand of every meeting that each employee is responsible for answering.In meetings, ask an employee whats working, whats notIn a recent Medium post,Andy Raskin, a San Francisco-based strategic messaging employee,recounted a conversation he overheard between a Famous CEO and a Young CEO about Jobs strategy for feedback.When Jobs was in Pixar meetings, he needed to get caught up quickly, so he would make a point to meet with multiple departments.He would have to figure out where his a ttention was needed really fast, so he would arrange sessions with all the different teams - theCarsteam, the technology team, whatever - so there were a dozen or so people in each one. Then he would point to one person in each session and sayTell me whats not working atPixar,Raskin recounted that the Famous CEO said Jobs did. Then, Jobs would ask other people in the meeting if they agreed with that one employees assessment. Then, he would pick a different employee and ask them what was working at Pixar. Jobs would toggle back and forth between the two questions until he got a sense of what needed to be addressed.Jobs questions work because they are direct requests for transparency. You cannot get out of answering them with a polite yes or no.Its a confrontational approach that may lead to awkward moments, but works if you are confident in your teams abilities.In 1995, when Jobs was asked why he would famously tell employees their work was terrible, he explained that his critiques came from a place of respect for the employee and their potential The most important thing I think you can do for someone whos really good and whos really being counted on is to point out to them when theyre not - when their work isnt good enough. And to do it very clearly and to articulate why and to get them back on track.Kim Scott, a Silicon Valley veteran who is the author of Radical Candor Be a Kickass Boss Without Losing Your Humanity, endorses Jobs approach to feedback as a radically candor one worth adopting.People will often misconstrue radical candor as obnoxious aggression. I have found the leading a team means I have to endure a lot of willing to be hated moments, Scott writes. parte of the reason that I call it radical candor is that its rare. But the other reason is that one often has to resort to extreme language or actions to challenge people directly enough to get through to them.So aspiring Steve Jobs everywhere, listen up. When you are a leader, you have to tak e the lead in asking employees how they think - even if that means confronting them on-the-spot in uncomfortable meetings.

How to be a company that attracts LGBTQ professionals

How to be a company that attracts LGBTQ professionalsHow to be a company that attracts LGBTQ professionalsHow to be a company that attracts LGBTQ professionals Papandrea, contributorWeve come a long way as a nation when it comes to LGBTQ rights and acceptance, but we surely have more work to do, especially in the workplace.In 30 states, its leise perfectly legal to not hire someone or to fire them due to sexual orientation or gender orientation.The good news is some progress is being made. The House of Representatives just passed the Equality Act bill that prohibits discrimination based on sex, sexual orientation, and gender identity in areas includingemployment. (Its now with the Senate.)In the meantime, many private corporations are enacting their own inclusive policies that not only protect LGBTQ workers, but nurture them. (Just browse through the list of best companies for LGBTQ workersbased on theCorporate Equality Indexfrom HRC to see which ones are leading the way.) And while youre at it, check out Monsters list of best companies for LGBTQ workers.Becoming a company that welcomes LGBTQ talent requires more than just not discriminating against them its recognizing that diversity can be a growth strategy, says Nadia Rawlinson, chief philanthropisch resources officer at Live Nation.Consumers are diversifying, cultural lines are blurring, social media is driving new levels of public and consumer accountability and the war for talent is at its fiercest to date, she says.To win that talent war, companies need to commit to diversity and belonging, says Rawlinson, which she describes as creating inclusion that is so powerful that employees feel safe to innovate. Companies that do this well will outpace their competitors.If youd like to attract more talent from the LGBTQ community, try emulating some of these best practices recommended by HRC, and used by high-performing inclusive companies.State your intentions loudly and proudlyIt sounds simple, but it really is important to codify that you are an employer that does not discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity, says Beck Bailey, acting director of HRCs Workplace Equality Program.If you have an employee handbook or a written nondiscrimination statement, make sure it includes sex and gender identification. The laws are uneven from state to state, so make sure youre very clear and articulate, he says.A good example of the type of wording you can include comes from Mastercard, which scored 100% on HRCs Best Places to Work for LGBTQ Equality. As stated on its career site Mastercard is an inclusive Equal Employment Opportunity employer that considers applicants without regard to gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, ethnicity, disabled or veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.Create a welcoming candidate experienceIn plus-rechnen to adding text to your employee handbook, be sure that job seekers know that youre a friend to the LGBT Q community as well. You can do that by including a welcome invitation in your job placements, says Bailey. Be explicit that all gender identities and all orientations are encouraged to apply.The reason its so important to put this in writing is that it sends a clear signal so that candidates dont have to guess what your intentions are, he adds.As you can imagine, top candidates will be more inclined to apply to an organization that is openly welcoming them, rather than those that keep them guessing. Of course, you have to go beyond just copying and pasting inclusive language into your job postings.We follow through on that messaging through our recruiters, who are knowledgeable about our commitment to Diversity Belonging, and walk candidates through a summary of our purpose, programs, initiatives and goals, says Rawlinson. Live Nation also provides candidates with a summary of its medical benefits, which contain LGBTQ+ and gender-inclusive language and benefits.Make inclusion part of your employer brandBeyond adding language to your career page, think about what other micro-signals youre sending to indicate that your company is LGBTQ-friendly, says Bailey.Do you have a rainbow sticker on your door? In the parts of your website where you talk about your values, commitments to the community, and where you invest philanthropic giving, do you sttze your local LGBTQ center? Things like that illustrate to potential applicants that you are serious about your commitment to equality.In other words, putting policies into practice the way companies like Pfizer do speaks volumes.Pfizer strives to be the healthcare employer of choice by providing excellent colleague benefits and support for LGBTQ colleagues and the broader, external LGBTQ community through public advocacy and sponsorships, says Willard McCloud III, vice president and global head of diversity and inclusion for Pfizer, Inc.For example, the company is an annual supporter of Out Equal Workplace Advocates, a nonprofit organization dedicated to achieving global LGBTQQ workplace equality, and a lead sponsor for the HRCs Healthcare Equality Index.Offer lots of internal support, tooIts important to remember that for many, the workplace might be the first place where they interact with people from the LGBTQ community, says Bailey.When people dont have a personal experience or reference point, they may inadvertently say or do things that are not welcoming, he says. Thats why its imperative to start some conversations about what it means to have respectful behavior toward all in the workplace.Companies can request resources from organizations like HRC or local LGBTQ centers, says Bailey. Its pretty easy to have folks come in and do training with staff for a fairly low investment. And theres online training and tools out there, he says. The point is that real change requires intentional dialogue.Something as simple as learning how to address people with their preferred pronouns is important wh en youre meeting with LGBTQ candidates, or introducing them as new hires to your team. If youre interacting with people who are visibly transgender, undergoing transition, or who are gender nonconforming, the thing here is that its about respect, says Bailey. Its interacting with people the way they want to be interacted with.As for LGBTQ job seekers, knowing that their prospective companies have support groups can help them feel confident about navigating a new workplace. At Live Nation, for example, there are seven active Pride Nation chapters dedicated to promoting a positive and inclusive environment for all employees, regardless of sexual orientation and gender identity/expression.Be proactive with LGBTQ recruitingIf youre not attracting candidates from the LGBTQ community because your own network may be lacking in diversity, you should try expanding your search.Think about how to elevate or cross post your opportunities beyond your own limitations and your own network, says Ba iley. For instance, there are many local organizations that have either job fairs or community job boards, or you might try to engage directly with local colleges or universities, most of which have an LGBTQ center, he adds.Get in anflug with those groups and let them know that youre seeking diverse candidates to fill your pipeline.Show your prideLots of companies do things in June to acknowledge pride month, so now is a great time to make your LGBTQ hiring initiative known.During Pride Month, Pfizer will be flying the Rainbow Flag at its world headquarters, says McCloud. Other companies will create social media campaigns to discuss what pride means to them, or to highlight their LGBTQ employees.Its worth noting, however, that celebrating pride is not just something that large corporations can do.Small/mid-sized companies need to be visible, too, says McCloud.For instance, participating and/or sponsoring events in local communities during pride month can say a lot about a companys f ocus on DI.Its not always big gestures, but rather even small ones like starting an ally program for LGBTQ people in your company that lays the foundation for a more diverse and inclusive work environment, he says.Nor is pride something that should only be acknowledged once per year. Bailey says its important to continue doing the work year-round if you want to be a company that truly champions the LGBTQ community. LGBTQ bias and stigma is still a very real thing in our world, he says. This work to make transparent what you are doing is really important.