Management is an art that blends strategy, empathy, and action. It's a journey that often begins without formal recognition, yet it influences countless lives and outcomes. You might not realize it, but you are likely managing people or projects every day, whether you're coordinating a community event, leading a volunteer team, or simply overseeing tasks in your daily life. Every interaction, every shared goal, and every delegated task is a reflection of your potential as a manager.
As you embark on this exploration of management skills, consider this your invitation to practice and grow. You don’t need a formal title to embrace your potential as a manager. By learning to delegate effectively and understand your unique management style, you can cultivate a more harmonious and productive atmosphere in both your personal and professional life. Let’s unlock the power of management together, starting with the first steps you can take today.
The Goal
The Goal: Develop a deeper understanding of your management style and improve your delegation skills, enabling you to lead more effectively and grow as confident, adaptable managers.
Step 1: Practice Delegation
You might already be “managing” more people that you realize. For example, if you hire someone to fix something for you or clean your apartment, you are in essence “managing” them. You might also be part of a volunteer or sports team where you have taken on a management role, without the formal title.
You cannot manage anyone without giving up control of something in your work or life. Can you think of some things you are currently doing that you might possibly delegate to someone else? Maybe part of a group project? Maybe a project around your home or dorm? Do you have a mentor or mentee you can delegate something to? Maybe even delegating making dinner one night to a friend?
Delegate a task to someone intentionally, then reflect on how well you guided and supported them to ensure the task was completed to your standards.
Step 2: Understand Your Management Style
All managers have different styles. Finding a style that is authentic to you is important. The Indigo report and the self-awareness you’ve gained is the perfect first step to articulating your management style.
Consider your DISC scores and write about how you see yourself acting as a manager. For example, someone who is High Dominance and Low Steadiness/Compliance might write “I’m a manager who has a direct style that will tend to miss communicating important details. I will make sure that the person I’m managing has all the information necessary to succeed and slow down enough to ask questions and provide a warm work environment.”
Step 3: Adapt and Grow Your Management Style
Once you’ve understood your management style, the next step is to adapt it to better suit the needs of your team and specific situations. Use your strengths while addressing any potential gaps. For instance, if you’re direct but tend to overlook details, make a conscious effort to slow down, communicate thoroughly, and ask for feedback regularly. Continually seek opportunities to improve how you manage, whether through training, feedback from your team, or personal reflection.