There’s no point going through life and not learning anything.
Over the years I’ve made my share of mistakes.
Because I didn’t know better or I didn’t listen.
Here are 5 things I wish I had known before learning them the hard way…
1. Not trying to do everyone’s job
Some years ago, I would cover every position while the employee was on holiday.
I thought it helped and saved money.
But it took me away from my role to lead the ship.
2. Giving up some control
I thought that doing most of the tasks, or controlling everything,
was the only way to ensure it was done well.
But you end up undervaluing your team, and missing out on great ideas from them
Not to mention that it isn’t sustainable.
3. Delegating effectively
I hadn’t been trained on delegating and I was afraid the team weren’t 100% ready.
I was telling them how to do it and checking on them constantly.
I learnt to delegate a task to someone who could do it 80% well, told them my expectations,
But not how to do it, and made myself available if they needed help.
4. Saying ‘no’
As a new team leader, I never said ‘no’ to anyone, my team, my colleagues, my boss or my clients.
My time management was all over the place and my working hours increasing.
I was getting stressed and my work suffered.
We are not superhuman. Sometimes we have to say ‘no’.
5. Having a selfish moment
As a team leader you always put others first.
Your customers, your team and so on.
I always put myself last. I was my last priority.
After a while, I started being mentally exhausted
and my motivation and engagement suffered.
So, although it’s part of our job as team leader to focus on other people,
It is equally essential we are at times selfish and focus on ourselves.
We need to think about our own wellbeing in order to do our job well.
If sometimes you struggle with things at work, drop me a line and I’ll give you some tips.
