Has COVID and remote or hybrid work changed the skill set—or changed the mix? Due to staff reductions associated with COVID we asked some managers to manage staff in areas they did not have functional experience or strength in. Often, newer managers initially rely on having deeper knowledge than their staff as a key management tool. This presents a new level of stress/ growth for the manager when they are asked to push outside their areas of functional strength. The coaching I provide in the time of transition until they have gained a better functional understanding is to ask a lot more questions. They cannot rely as much on intuition or experience. Instead, they need to let the ‘story’ develop and they can foster this by asking questions. These newer managers typically have less experience with remote management, and this presents a challenge, particularly with training. When the manager is seated near their staff and quick training opportunities are presented, they are much more easily taken advantage of through a brief exchange. How has today’s work environment affected your ability to coach managers? The virtual environment has made it more challenging to manage the manager. It’s harder to oversee the work. An even bigger challenge is keeping a finger on the pulse. Historically, you can get a sense of how a manager is doing by watching the mood within their team and hearing the chatter in the bullpen or the kitchen. You can see the informal interactions between peers and between managers and their staff. It’s also easier to have an informal 1-on-1 interaction with your manager’s team when you bump into them in the office. I wanted to touch on an item Craig raised about promoting someone to a management role when it does not align with their career goals. In a past role, the company I worked for developed a management level role for technical specialists who did not wish to pursue a career in management and/or if there was not an immediate opening for a management position. This team of specialists was included as part of an extended management team. It was effective as a retention tool and it also allowed for some people with very strong skills to maintain and/or grow their expertise because they were able to lead higher level projects/work without being bogged down as managers. Finally, it also served as a stepping-stone for some staff who were able to be exposed to management level discussions, leading them to develop an interest in a management path without being forced into it.
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