The best managers hire smart people to work for them. But what if your direct reports are smarter than you? How do you manage people who have more experience or more knowledge? How do you coach them if you don\u2019t have the same level of expertise?<\/p>\n
What the Experts Say Face your fears Seek counsel Get informed Confront any issues Give\u2014and take\u2014feedback Add value Give employees room Project confidence, but not too much Principles to Remember:<\/strong><\/p>\n Do<\/strong><\/p>\n Don\u2019t<\/strong><\/p>\n Case Study #1: Get educated about what your direct reports do Her ideal candidate needed to have topnotch development skills, be conversant in multiple programming languages, and have a deep understanding of emergent web technologies . In short, Emily needed someone with knowledge and capabilities that she herself didn\u2019t possess. \u201cThe hardest part about hiring people who have expertise you don\u2019t have is evaluating them,\u201d she says. \u201cI realized I needed to get educated enough about what they do.\u201d<\/p>\n So Emily did lots of reading; she talked to others in the industry and learned about the cadence of development. \u201cI learned how to gauge the quality of the work product even if I can\u2019t do the work myself,\u201d she says. \u201cI learned how long it takes to do things, what\u2019s doable, and what\u2019s not.\u201d<\/p>\n This research had two advantages: One, it made the hiring process go more smoothly and, two, it has helped Emily manage Heather, her new CTO. Emily articulates a vision for \u201cwhat success looks like\u201d to Heather but stops short of blow-by-blow instructions on how to achieve it. \u201cI understand our application architecture at a high level and I can communicate to my CTO what I need done, but how it gets done is up to her,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n Today Emily and Heather are working together to put the company in the best position for possible venture funding. They\u2019ve identified metrics they need to bolster and new features they want to add. \u201cHeather understands the overall business reasons why we need to do these things; she\u2019s always finding ways to make our technology perform better, and she often has an idea that will save us time or money,\u201d Emily says. \u201cIf you know how to do somebody\u2019s job, you tell them how to do it. But when you don\u2019t, you have to listen and be receptive.\u201d<\/p>\n Case Study #2: <\/strong>Provide your team members with resources and support Meredith suffered a crisis of confidence: \u201cI thought: how could I lead these people? What value did I provide?\u201d<\/p>\n A conversation with a mentor helped change her perspective. The mentor reminded Meredith that she was put in the job for a reason: the company\u2019s higher-ups believed she had something to offer. Her mentor also emphasized that a manager\u2019s role was not to do the job of his or her employees, but to help them do better at their work. \u201cMy job was to look for things that they didn\u2019t see and help them shine brighter,\u201d Meredith explains. \u201cShe also told me that my insecurity would only get in my way, so I had to stop worrying about them outshining me.\u201d<\/p>\n From that point on, Meredith focused on providing \u201cvision, direction, and strategy,\u201d she says. \u201cI made sure my team had everything they needed to thrive.\u201d<\/p>\n Determined to develop and maintain strong relationships with her team members, she gave them lots of leeway. She trusted their experience and expertise and didn\u2019t worry about how they got their jobs done. \u201cI made people accountable for their results, not their activity, and I gave them a huge amount of room to deliver,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n She also showed humility. When her direct reports asked her questions she didn\u2019t know the answers to, she \u201cwas shameless about finding people who did\u2014whether they were people within the company or outside of it.\u201d And she made sure to give them credit for their results. \u201cSharing public glory was really important,\u201d she says. \u201cIt showed that I was not looking to be the hero or the expert.\u201d<\/p>\n Four years into her job, the company was sold for over $200 million to a public entity. Today Meredith is the founder and CEO of ThinkHuman, the career-coaching group and management consultancy. \u201cI look back on those years as my on-the-court MBA,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n –<\/p>\n Source: Harvard Business Review<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The best managers hire smart people to work for them. But what if your direct reports are smarter than you? How do you manage people who have more experience or more knowledge? How do you coach them if you don\u2019t have the same level of expertise? What the Experts Say Getting promoted to a job […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":20,"featured_media":141519,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[],"tags":[36],"yoast_head":"\n
\n<\/strong>Getting promoted to a job that includes responsibility for areas outside your domain can be downright terrifying. Your employees may ask questions that you don\u2019t know the answers to and may not even fully understand. \u201cWhen you\u2019re a technical expert, you know your value to the organization,\u201d says Wanda Wallace, President and CEO of Leadership Forum and author of Reaching the Top<\/em>. \u201cBut when you don\u2019t have the content expertise\u2014or the \u2018best\u2019 content expertise, you struggle with: what is my value?\u201d Figuring out the answer to that question requires a change in mindset. \u201cYour role is no longer to be an individual contributor,\u201d says Linda Hill, a professor at Harvard Business School and the coauthor of Being the Boss<\/em>. <\/em>\u201cYour job is to set the stage and by definition that means you will have people who are more experienced, more up-to-date, and have more expertise working under you.\u201d And while it may feel professionally disconcerting at first, it bodes well for your future. \u201cThe higher you go in an organization, the more you\u2019re expected to make decisions on which you might not have direct experience or expertise,\u201d says Roger Schwarz, an organizational psychologist and the author of Smart Leaders, Smarter Teams<\/em>.<\/em> \u201cIt\u2019s a beginning of the shift in your career.\u201d Here are some tips on how to make that transition as seamlessly as possible.<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>It\u2019s natural to feel worried or insecure about your ability to manage someone who has superior experience or knowhow. \u201cBusiness is emotional,\u201d says Wallace. \u201cAnd when you\u2019re leading a group that knows more about the day-to-day work than you do, it\u2019s scary.\u201d According to Schwarz, the first step is to consider whether your fear is based in reality. \u201cIf no one has said anything to you directly or indirectly, you need to look deeper and ask yourself: where is this fear coming from?\u201d Hill agrees, adding that it can be dangerous to ignore self-doubt. For one thing, \u201cif you feel threatened, other people will pick up on those signals.\u201d For another, \u201cif you don\u2019t feel comfortable coaching someone who has more experience than you, you might end up neglecting that person.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>Consider reaching out to other managers who may have experienced similar challenges. \u201cTalking to peers, coaches, and mentors about your feelings and fears of inadequacy\u201d will help you feel less alone and may also give you ideas on how to handle the situation, says Wallace. A candid conversation with your manager might also be worthwhile, according to Schwarz. \u201cShare your concerns and ask what led him or her to select you for the role and what you bring to it,\u201d he says. This isn\u2019t \u201cfishing for compliments,\u201d he adds. \u201cThere\u2019s nothing wrong with asking for reassurance,\u201d and the answers \u201cwill give you insight into your strengths and the development needs of your reports.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>In yesterday\u2019s organization, the boss was the teacher and the employees were there to learn and do as they were told. Today, \u201clearning is a two-way street,\u201d says Schwarz. Tell your direct reports that you want to learn from them and then be deliberate about \u201ccreating opportunities to make that happen,\u201d he says. \u201cYou don\u2019t need to become a technical expert, but you do need to know enough about the details to know where the problems lie,\u201d adds Wallace. She suggests shadowing team members for a day or even for a couple of hours and \u201casking a lot of dumb questions.\u201d Find out what worries them, where they get stuck, and from whom they could use input. \u201cGet insight into what your people do,\u201d she says. \u201cIt\u2019s enormously motivating for employees.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>If members of your team express concerns about your ability to lead, or you hear that the office rumor mill churning with spite, you need to address the issue head on. When dealing with a direct report who is openly hostile or out for your job, you should be honest and \u201cwilling to be vulnerable,\u201d according to Schwarz. He recommends saying something like, \u201cI know you have more experience and expertise than I do, and I understand you have concerns about that.\u201d Don\u2019t go in \u201ctrying to protect your ego.\u201d Instead, approach the person with curiosity and talk \u201cabout what you can do to help meet his needs.\u201d Remember, Hill adds, your goal is to \u201cfigure out how you\u2019re going to work together and support your employee.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>\u201cIt\u2019s rather foolish to think about giving feedback\u201d on your direct reports\u2019 area of expertise when you don\u2019t have the technical chops to do so, says Wallace. So keep your comments to areas where you have authority and legitimacy,\u201d she says. \u201cFind the issue that\u2019s most relevant and be specific. Say: \u2018I want to talk with you about the way you communicate with the sales team.\u2019 Give an example, talk about what happened, and the result,\u201d she says. But make sure to get as much as you give, adds Hill. \u201cYou need to make it clear that you\u2019re also comfortable getting feedback,\u201d she says. \u201cThis is the way you\u2019ll all get better.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>Perhaps the best way to gain credibility and trust as a manager is to demonstrate \u201cthe value you add to the team,\u201d says Wallace. It could be in \u201chow you bring people together, how you use your network to get work done, how you communicate with stakeholders, or the broader perspective\u201d you provide. Hill says you should also show a desire to help your employees advance in their careers. She suggests asking questions like, \u201cWhere do you want to go? What do you want to learn? And what do you need from me?\u201d Schwarz adds: \u201cYou don\u2019t need to be the person\u2019s mentor, but you need to help the person develop.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>As the leader, one of your most important responsibilities is to \u201ccreate an environment for talent to be expressed,\u201d says Hill. This requires you learn how to step back and enable things to happen. \u201cYour role is not to be the smartest person in the room anymore. Your role is to make space,\u201d she says. Wallace agrees. \u201cKeep your hand hovering over the team\u201d\u2014like a parent helping a toddler learn how to walk, she says. \u201cBe there, but don\u2019t hold her hand all the time.\u201d Transparency is key. \u201cGet smart about what you need to know and how often you need updates,\u201d Wallace adds. Tell your team when you need to give senior leaders a progress report, \u201cWhen direct reports know why you\u2019re digging into details, they are tolerant. But when no explanation is provided, it leads to a feeling of \u2018do you not trust me?\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>Even if it sometimes feels as if you\u2019re in over your head, it\u2019s important to project the right amount of confidence. But \u201cthere\u2019s a balance,\u201d Wallace says. \u201cIf you come across as overconfident, your people won\u2019t trust you\u201d and you\u2019ll be viewed as arrogant. \u201cEqually, if you look scared to death you won\u2019t be seen as credible.\u201d Executive presence is something you must cultivate. There\u2019s no secret sauce: Be calm. Be respectful. Take yourself and others seriously. Know when detail is necessary and when it\u2019s not. \u201cWhen your team sees you holding your own among other senior leaders they will give you credit.\u201d<\/p>\n\n
\n
\n<\/strong>Earlier this year, Emily Burns, founder and CEO of Learnivore, the Boston-based start-up that helps people find local instructors, coaches, and classes, set out to hire a chief technology officer.<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>Early in Meredith Haberfeld\u2019s career, she was made vice president of a marketing services company and put in charge of a large team full of people who were \u201cmore experienced and more capable\u201d than her. \u00a0\u201cThey understood how to build a business better than I did,\u201d she recalls.<\/p>\n