Savvy managers keep learning… but should they?
What’s wrong with this picture?
The people I admire tend to be life-long learners.
Latest example:
Hillary Clinton and her daughter Chelsea have filmed a fabulous series, “Gutsy”. In it, they talk to trend setting women and learn what makes them tick. In following their desire to learn, they are helping me and other viewers be captivated by methods and philosophies not always in our consciousness. For me, this is a perfect opportunity to practice one of the four types of brainstorming exercises, Related Worlds. I hear something and I imagine, “How could I apply that to a dilemma I have, or that a client is currently facing?”
Speaking of learning…
I spend a lot of time working with new managers. I understand how busy you are and how easy it is to feel overwhelmed with everything you could or “should” be learning. A mistake I see a lot of managers make is thinking that learning is their top priority. Yes, you will learn tips from articles and podcasts, but you also need to apply your learning.
Stretching your thinking by applying learning actively builds your mental muscles so you can break out of the box of habitual thinking.
Try it with your team.
Pick a problem to focus on, choose a brainstorming exercise (there are plenty in my Brainstorming Playbook), and see what happens. Pay attention to how similar or different this process is compared to how you’ve addressed problems in the past. Notice how individual team members react to doing something different – are they enjoying the process or resisting something that’s out of their ordinary routine?
Are you a savvy manager?
If you want to lead a high-performing team that is comfortable with doing things different in the pursuit of generating effective solutions, then you need to be a savvy manager who is comfortable with trying new methods and who knows why it’s important to do so.
When you are ready for learning new techniques to quickly strengthen your leadership and your team’s productivity, check out Light Bulb Moments™, our podcast-style course for new managers or those leading new teams. Light Bulb Moments combines developing strong management skills with learning creative problem-solving techniques, for a more productive team that consistently produces inspired solutions. Designed for learning on the go, and for helping you apply the learning in your world, the podcast modules are accompanied by a comprehensive workbook.
If you’d like to know more about how this course could support your learning and doing, schedule a free 30-minute strategy session at https://calendly.com/ellia-harris/30min.