Remember: You drive your career. Your manager is the career GPS.
Reader’s Question:
Hi FairyGodMentor,
How do you deal with a manager who wants you firing on all cylinders (all the time)?
Best wishes,
Burnt Out
________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Dear Burnt Out,
It’s challenging to deal with the day-to-day demands of your own job. Then there’s your manager, a person who’s got a whole other host of demands weighing on their shoulders.
As a people leader, I often fell into the trap that everyone had to be working at the same high intensity as me in order to be productive. That’s not always the case. One size doesn’t fit all. How one approaches work isn’t the ONLY way success is achieved.
I want to stress something very important here: You drive your career. You’re in the driver’s seat. Your manager is like the career GPS. You know what your needs and limits are. And if those needs change, tell your manager so they can recalculate the route for you.
The only way for your manager to understand what your needs and limits are is to Show Your Ask and tell them. This is why I stress the importance of having regular one-on-one conversations with your manager to strengthen your business relationship and communication. It doesn’t have to be a super-formal thing.
I liked creating an agenda because I knew that if I had to share something personal, like lightening up the workload, I may let my emotions get the better of me and the conversation may go sideways. You should have a script of talking points.
A standing weekly 30-minute meeting to discuss project updates (this will minimize micromanaging—trust me). You can also add your career development to the agenda. That was something that I kept top of mind for all of the people that I reported to.
Firing on all cylinders is not sustainable. It’s important to communicate to your manager what productivity and success has looked like so far and share the impact of what driving with your foot to the proverbial floor will have on you and your work product.
Bring the receipts! Show your work. Where’s the data/results to show what you’ve been able to do so far for the organization? Share how you need to put on the breaks to stay productive. Always tie what you’re doing or needing back to the business. It’s all about how your work is impacting the business.
When thinking of an ask of the business, envision the business as Janet Jackson singing, “What have you done for me lately?!” You should be able to answer that question by providing clear and concise bullet points of information to support your ask.
Make sure to ask clarifying questions to ensure you’re on the same page. Don’t leave that office, cubicle, or virtual room until you have confirmation on what the next steps are going to be. Document what was discussed, review your notes with your manager to avoid any misunderstandings, and send them a copy of your conversation.
Your well-being is important. Without it, how will you keep bring the magic you bring to your role each day?
Your efforts are all in an attempt to make your manager and the organization successful. Isn’t that what they want, too? Talk to them and help them remember.
You got this!
Sincerely,
Your Fairygodmentor®
Joyel Crawford is an award-winning career and leadership development professional and the founder of Crawford Leadership Strategies, a consultancy that develops empowered, results-driven leaders through engaging leadership development coaching, training, and facilitation.
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