Transition from Individual Contributor to People Manager
Image: Freepik
I have often heard that a great manager can greatly influence the trajectory of one’s career. Some people are fortunate to have great managers who believe and lead them to the right growth path. Many successful people have acknowledged that taking daring steps was owed to their manager’s influence. Also, providing a safe environment for making mistakes and calculated risks. It was no shock that I wanted to be a great manager. That is something I have always wanted and I have experienced at different points in my career.
As my career grows, I have found myself transitioning from an individual contributor to a people manager. Growth in many organizations seems to differ but typically chart towards two paths — individual contributor and people manager. While some people might chose to stick to the role of an individual contributor, I believe that in most cases the role of an individual contributor often peaks at lead and principal positions. From my observation, there is a lot more room for growth when you chart the path of a people manager. However, you should choose the path that matches your strengths and career ambitions.
During my transition, I soon realized that being an individual contributor as a product manager is NOT the same as being a people manager. As a product manager, you manage a team to deliver an outcome. It is more of a team sport and you hone in on the strengths of members of the team to be successful.
Being a people manager entails that you zoom into the core skills and expertise of your direct reports. This involves taking equal ownership of their growth, failures and experiences. While it might have been easier to create roadmaps, strategy, and product documentation, and manage stakeholders, it is not as easy to manage a person. Some of this difficulty comes from the part ownership with your direct report. It is a partnership. You define their growth, make seemingly difficult yet honest decisions, and readily give feedback at varying times and varying degrees. I believe that this difficulty emerges from the difficulty and unique attributes of being a human being.
Being a manager involves setting expectations with your direct reports and understanding their aspirations for this partnership.
Here are the areas I struggled with in this transition
Expectations: Prior to being in this role, I had a great idea of what kind of manager I wanted to be. In the first few weeks, we had calls to set what this reporting line should look like. During our first call, we used the call to understand who they were at work and outside of work. I find that getting to know people helps build rapport, trust and ultimately psychological safety. This approach worked for me, but it may differ for others. We set our rituals including recurring calls for check-ins, learnings, and personal development. Outside of these expectations, were my personal assumptions regarding work. Communicate often and be responsive. Reality and expectations are very different. I found myself learning patience. When work did not meet my expectations, I learned to drop or “redefine” my expectations of what work looks like. We are all at different points in our careers. And it was unfair to expect that they knew what I already knew.
Feedback and Communication: I’m introverted and as a product manager, I have had to learn to speak up when needed and as required. It does not mean that this still came easily. When I had negative feedback to give, I found myself struggling and gave them chances to be proven wrong. What I have realized is failing to give feedback is committing to failure that could have been avoided. When you hold off on giving timely and honest feedback, the people involved are unaware of this. As such, it is irresponsible to hold them and assume that they know what you are thinking. Having feedback and knowing when to give feedback is important. Feedback is not a one-way street, you give feedback and you receive feedback.
Leadership Styles: leadership and being a people manager is different for everyone. I have spent a lot of time observing people and I have seen excellent traits I admired from my previous managers, wanting to act the same way as them is a recipe for disaster. What I have noticed is, that because we have different personalities, strengths and abilities, we cannot lead the same way. There is no one-size-fits-all approach to leadership. I have learnt to lean into my individuality and reconfigure the skills I admire to fit into mine. Not to act like others verbatim.
As an added layer, this applies when we share our concerns with peers. Being patient and adapting learnings to your experience and direct report is key.
Trust: People work best when you trust them to do their best work. I have never subscribed to the idea of micromanaging. Micromanaging might seem appealing in theory, but it can be stifling in practice. I had to learn, to wait and trust my direct reports to do their best work and make the best decision based on the information they had at hand. Although people differ, it is important to know when to adopt an approach to your direct report.
While I have shared my challenges above, here are my takeaways
Learning and Flexibility: I have learnt to reflect on my weaknesses and strengths. To learn my direct report as a person not just as a colleague. This helps me position them for growth. I have learnt to seek help from more experienced peers. No one likes an inflexible manager. You should know when to be flexible and make changes when needed.
Accessibility: Being a manager is being accessible when needed. Being available when needed, and responding to messages and calls. Providing clarity when needed. People do not appreciate inaccessibility. It often frustrates direct reports. Especially when you are unavailable to give feedback when needed.
Time: Great leadership takes time. Being easy on yourself and taking time to reflect helps you become a better line manager.
Adaptability: The same managerial approach will not always work for everyone. Managing a newbie and an experienced hire is different.
In summary, being a manager is not a sole proprietorship but a partnership.
If you enjoyed this post, please share it with your friends and network. If you have any feedback, I am available via direct messaging or email (tomisinagbaje@gmail.com).
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Amazing article 👏👏👏