Have you ever managed a distant region, well away from the gaze of Head Office ?
You diligently dial-in to the weekly conference call to share your numbers, ‘highlights’ and ‘lowlights’ – so that, as long as the operation runs smoothly and the region turns in decent numbers, you are empowered to ‘get on with it’.
For some regional and area managers, being left well alone might sound like bliss !
Maybe after a few months, the novelty of being left alone to run your operation could start to wear a bit thin. Every silver lining has a cloud.
When it comes to personal development and improving your leadership quality, being left to your own devices can be dis-engaging, and disengagement means less productivity and motivation. Gallup have measured engagement and their recent study makes interesting reading:
Source: ‘State of the Global Workforce’ Gallup, 2017
To help maintain the self-driven focus on your people skills, we’ve compiled our top 3 ways to keep Regional and Area Managers learning, stretching and growing their leadership quality…. for when you’ve been left alone to run the business and your personal development.
OWN IT
Generally the expectation is to wait for your line manager to give you their ‘feedback’. However, bosses come and go throughout your career, so the person who knows most about you is…..YOU. Become the expert on your own strengths, weaknesses, likes, dislikes, style, emotional triggers. Building self awareness and seeking feedback on specific areas of interest has the advantage of creating internal motivation, rather than relying on others. OWN IT also covers your development plan – where do you want to work next and how will you get there ?
FORCE YOURSELF INTO THE STRETCH ZONE
When the pressure is off it’s easy to settle into the comfort zone, but the comfort zone is not where personal growth happens. When tasks feel unfamiliar it’s a sign that we’re in The Learning Pit – an essential process for learning, growing and improving (www.challenginglearning.co.uk). Learning new things requires us to be vulnerable, figure out new skills and have a go, if we are to improve. This takes courage, but when your team see you in the Learning Pit, they’re more likely to climb in too:
Vulnerability + Support = Growth whereas Vulnerability + Blame = Fear
BUILD & LEVERAGE A WIDER / DEEPER NETWORK
Being left to run your region could mean that there’s an opportunity to connect with industry associations, peer groups and networking forums. Joining industry groups is an opportunity to absorb (and contribute to) the latest thinking, research and methodology. Spending time with like-minded professionals could open your eyes to new ideas that will nudge you into the stretch zone.
In summary, there are plenty of advantages to being outside the corporate spotlight, reliably delivering a regional role for your organisation. In contrast, the risk is maintaining the momentum behind your own personal development and career progression.
If you would like to become a more effective leader, discreetly while-you-work and without spending time attending a training course, email: simon@regionalmanagerdevelopment.com or call +44 (0)113 493 1886