I start today by acknowledging a milestone, as journalists like to do. This is the 75th column and podcast in our “Great Bosses” series. We catalog all of them on one page on Poynter.org, for those searching for a specific management solution or inspiration.
I think topic number 75 should be an important one, don’t you? So let’s tackle a critical issue: How great bosses choose their deputies.
Leaders don’t succeed as a solo acts. They surround themselves with smart, trustworthy people and together they make good things happen. Don’t take my word for it. Here’s what leadership gurus Warren Bennis and David Heenan say in “Co-Leaders: The Power of Great Partnerships“:
If you’ve read some of the previous 74 columns, you may know I prefer to teach from my mistakes. But on this topic — middle managers — I make an exception.
I struck gold when I fielded deputies during my long tenure as a news director. They weren’t just my valued assistants; they were leaders who were liked and respected by the staff.
At a recent gathering of alums of my newsroom, a photojournalist took me aside to talk about the uniqueness of that management team and its values. He said he could turn to any one of us with a problem or for a judgment call and get a response he respected.
I was deeply touched by his words, and I’ve been honored to hear that message from others. We did something right. In my current role, teaching and coaching managers, I’ve learned that it doesn’t always happen that way. So, permit me to teach from that past success and turn it into a list of tips.
10 tips for choosing your deputies
Trust is the lifeblood of good management teams. It’s not enough that you trust your deputies; the staff must have faith in them, too. It’s a high bar. Vet carefully. Assume YOUR reputation is on the line with every management hire you make.
Don’t hire your clone:
While your core values should be identical, don’t hire “Mini-Me.” Look for people who bring diversity in experience, ideas, talent and personality. Seek out people who are smarter than you, who fill in your knowledge and skill gaps and who make the whole team stronger.
Hire your replacement:
Have the wisdom and self confidence to hire people who could take your job in the future. Grooming people for greatness doesn’t put you at risk; it can make you more valuable. Remember, when you hire people of character, (see tip number one), they won’t use their growing success to depose their leader.
Look for rising stars from within:
Some of my best managers were promoted by popular demand. Listen to your staff, especially your highest-performing and most collaborative employees. If they advocate for an internal candidate and have the facts to support their position, give their advice extra weight. If the rising star is a good fit for the opening, he or she will have a built-in cheering section from the start.
Don’t become insular:
As rewarding as it can be to promote from within, don’t wall yourself off from outsiders. It may be faster and cheaper to elevate managers from within, but people who’ve worked in the same place together for some time may suffer from “groupthink.” They may think things ain’t broke and don’t need fixing, when a less invested person may inspire innovation. But “outsider” status isn’t enough. It has to be “outsider with valuable experience and ideas.”
Share power:
If you give your mid-level managers responsibility, you’d better give them authority, too. Top-performing management teams have a shared understanding of the authority each person has to make decisions independently. They know when they need to say “Let’s get the boss in on this one.” When you’re not a micro-manager, they know to turn to you on major policy, personnel or budget issues, but are free to make important daily judgment calls.
Share information:
Information is currency in an organization. Your assistants can’t operate at maximum effectiveness unless you share strategic plans, market research, budget data and performance metrics. Remember, you’ve hired people of character (see tip number one, one more time). Give them the goods to make informed decisions.
Encourage — and endure — candid feedback:
Mid-level managers are closer to the front lines than you are. They should be your early warning system when the troops are unsettled or when a system is flawed. They should be unafraid to tell you when you’re about to do something stupid … or just did.
Share the credit AND the blame:
We live in a world that shines the spotlight on the top leader. Widen the beam at every opportunity. When there’s a success, credit your co-leaders. When they mess up, stand with them and take your lumps. The problem happened on your watch and it’s your responsibility as much as theirs. Then work together to find solutions.
Help them soar:
High achievers need to know they’re not stagnating. They need stretch assignments (projects that challenge them), learning opportunities and the chance to experience a sense of mastery in a meaningful subject area. And though this can be tough, you must support them if their next big professional step leads them away from your team. Offer to help them negotiate that career move wisely — and throw them a great farewell celebration.
I hope column number 75 helps you develop an outstanding management team. And to help you out a little more, podcast number 75 adds an extra tip — about recruiting a few “bonus” members to your leadership team.
Poynter’s “What Great Bosses Know” podcast is sponsored by The City University of New York Graduate School of Journalism. Poynter’s leadership and management expert Jill Geisler shares practical information on leadership and management that’s valuable for bosses in newsrooms and all walks of life.
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