Direction
I've had a really interesting couple of days.
I know I haven't written in a while and to tell the truth, not a lot is different. I'm still working at the same place, I'm still playing poker and I'm still wondering what the whole point is.
The interesting part has come out of work, funnily enough. Having spent the last 9 months with 7 managers under my 'tutelage', I had become comfortable in my role being one of middle management development. It felt almost parental ; it was like I was preparing these people for something more.
It was also great fun. I love the idea of being able to immortalise myself by instilling by values and beliefs in others. That has taken a back seat now with a 'structural change'.
All of the people that previously reported to me now report to my boss and I'm 'direct-reportless'. I'm now supposed to assume the role of 2IC to my boss and focus on "more operational duties"... I have yet to discover what that means exactly.
What's quite difficult to digest is that my counterpart (a very talented manager and capable leader) is still doing the same role they were, while mine has changed. It doesn't really mean anything as far as respective performance is concerned, but it's odd to hold the same title in the same department and have different job requirements.
My concern, and this doesn't leave the confines of whoever-the-fuck-reads-this, is that the last 9 months I've spent turning capable workers into leaders is going to regress under a, let's say, less enthusiastic hierarchy. I don't completely trust that the people I'm developing are capable of continuing that development autonomously and without my wind at their sails.
I'm desperately trying to instill in my managers a sense that they will need to step up and take the initiative, make mistakes, push the bounds, build their autonomy and just generally learn by doing. They won't have me as a safeguard that can filter their ideas and plans into organisational acceptance. They may have to learn in the same manner I did; TRIAL AND ERROR!
At the end of the day, though, it makes no difference, it really doesn't. Well, it does, but it's such an insignificant portion of the whole that it's very difficult to see the flow on effect.
I can only raise my arm and extend the finger of direction. The choice to proceed in the direction I'm pointing is not mine. The feet belong to others. Not everyone will follow my logic, and indeed it won't work for all, but I try and teach in such a way to allow the pupil to discover themselves rather than emulate the teacher.
One of Bruce Lee's more famous quotes is, "I cannot teach you anything, I can only make you think for yourself".
It may be slightly paraphrased, but the meaning is still there. I'm hoping these guys will step up and challenge themselves. After all, the only person you really need to answer to at the end of it all is yourself, right?
I know I haven't written in a while and to tell the truth, not a lot is different. I'm still working at the same place, I'm still playing poker and I'm still wondering what the whole point is.
The interesting part has come out of work, funnily enough. Having spent the last 9 months with 7 managers under my 'tutelage', I had become comfortable in my role being one of middle management development. It felt almost parental ; it was like I was preparing these people for something more.
It was also great fun. I love the idea of being able to immortalise myself by instilling by values and beliefs in others. That has taken a back seat now with a 'structural change'.
All of the people that previously reported to me now report to my boss and I'm 'direct-reportless'. I'm now supposed to assume the role of 2IC to my boss and focus on "more operational duties"... I have yet to discover what that means exactly.
What's quite difficult to digest is that my counterpart (a very talented manager and capable leader) is still doing the same role they were, while mine has changed. It doesn't really mean anything as far as respective performance is concerned, but it's odd to hold the same title in the same department and have different job requirements.
My concern, and this doesn't leave the confines of whoever-the-fuck-reads-this, is that the last 9 months I've spent turning capable workers into leaders is going to regress under a, let's say, less enthusiastic hierarchy. I don't completely trust that the people I'm developing are capable of continuing that development autonomously and without my wind at their sails.
I'm desperately trying to instill in my managers a sense that they will need to step up and take the initiative, make mistakes, push the bounds, build their autonomy and just generally learn by doing. They won't have me as a safeguard that can filter their ideas and plans into organisational acceptance. They may have to learn in the same manner I did; TRIAL AND ERROR!
At the end of the day, though, it makes no difference, it really doesn't. Well, it does, but it's such an insignificant portion of the whole that it's very difficult to see the flow on effect.
I can only raise my arm and extend the finger of direction. The choice to proceed in the direction I'm pointing is not mine. The feet belong to others. Not everyone will follow my logic, and indeed it won't work for all, but I try and teach in such a way to allow the pupil to discover themselves rather than emulate the teacher.
One of Bruce Lee's more famous quotes is, "I cannot teach you anything, I can only make you think for yourself".
It may be slightly paraphrased, but the meaning is still there. I'm hoping these guys will step up and challenge themselves. After all, the only person you really need to answer to at the end of it all is yourself, right?