I had a conversation with a friend who has recently been promoted to chair of an academic department. “My job is now 10% teaching and 90% babysitting,” he said. “And I have no managerial training.”
Most of us in management positions could say the same thing — at least about the lack of training. It would be ideal to think ahead to the job skills required for the job you eventually want and do more to prepare before they are needed. It doesn’t always work that way so we start out feeling like babysitters instead of managers. What can you learn from those who tend to toddlers?
Think about the good babysitters you had when growing up. You may have cried when your parents left, but they ignored that and you got over it. They gave you some options about what to eat or what to do. They played games with you for a while, but eventually, they let you watch movies or do things on your own. They may have told your parents about some of your behaviors, but they let you get away with a few things too. They made you do some chores and didn’t do everything for you. They made you some popcorn when you were good. There are lessons from babysitting that don’t involve chasing screaming kids around the room all evening!
If you find yourself supervising people for the first time, you may feel like a babysitter, but try to move toward being a coach. Provide clear expectations and some training upfront. Keep your staff informed as much as you can; knowledge and feeling as if their voice is heard is more motivating than money. Be fair. Empower them to make choices, changes, mistakes, and grow. Listen. Share the context for decisions. Say “good job”. Let them play at different positions. Provide some different strategies after you lose.
We all grow out of the need for a babysitter. Work toward helping your staff outgrow their need for a monitor by becoming a coach. Even the pros need one of those.
Originally published in modified form on July 31, 2013
