THE BEST LEADERS HIRE GREAT PEOPLE, THEN GET OUT OF THEIR WAY
In November I attended the 21st annual Advanced eDiscovery Institute, a continuing legal education program I helped start more than two decades ago. At that event I renewed friendships with lawyers and judges I had not spoken with in a long time.
Several of those experienced attorneys populated a “Legends of eDiscovery” panel on the second day of the Institute. Regrettably, I was not able to attend that session, but I was fortunate to learn some of what was discussed.
One of the panelists, Paul Weiner, is a senior partner at the law firm of Littler Mendelson and the co-chair of the Institute. Paul shared with the attendees his favorite leadership quotations and his proven leadership strategies. During his remarks, Paul said that he hires great people and then gets out of their way.
I pondered this strategy recently as I thought about some of the leadership coaching clients with whom I have worked during the past several years. So many of these leaders are well-meaning, sincere, honest, kind and transparent. Wonderful qualities for leaders to role model for their team members.
Unfortunately, many of these leaders do not follow the advice that Paul shared with his audience. They do not hire great people and/or they do not get out of their ways after they hire them.
There are two aspects to this formula. The first part is hiring great people. Does your organization or company routinely hire great people? I certainly hope so. If not, I encourage you to ask these questions:
-What’s standing in the way of our hiring great people on a consistent basis?
-What would it take for us to get to the point where we do hire great people consistently?
-What processes might need modification?
-What roles might need to be re-defined?
-What people might be better placed in different roles?
-What might we be able to learn from our recent hires?
-What might we be able to learn from colleagues who recently left to take jobs elsewhere?
-What have I learned during my time here that I could share with the colleagues who oversee the hiring process?
After leaders do everything they can to make sure their firms interview and hire great people, the second part of this strategy comes into play: Getting out of their way!
Of course, after new teammates are hired, as great as they may be, they must be onboarded and trained well. I have seen so many law firms and law schools over the years who devote extensive time and effort to identifying and hiring great people, and then they maintain an attitude of: “You’re smart. We are sure you can figure things out. Here are the names of colleagues to talk to and from whom you can learn the ropes.”
That does not work.
As talented and smart as new team members may be, they cannot learn their new jobs without carefully planned and scheduled onboarding and training. When new teammates are being trained, do you ask these questions:
-Do we have an operations manual for them to study that describes all aspects of the job?
-Have we identified the best mentors for them to speak with and learn from?
-Have we given them the technological, financial and physical resources they need to succeed?
-Have we created a schedule for their onboarding with a detailed curriculum?
-Have we built in check-in points where we and they can ask questions and probe for understanding?
-Have we communicated clear expectations for their learning and adjusting to the new job?
Finally, we must give ourselves permission to get out of their way after they have been hired and trained. This sounds easy, but for many managers and leaders, it is not so simple. Why? Because many managers and leaders exhibit micromanaging tendencies.
I have seen it repeatedly. Leaders who possess wonderful personal and leadership traits have trouble refraining from micromanagement. As I have said to many of them: “You hired this person for a reason. You hired them because you believe they will do an excellent job. So, allow them to do that job.”
-Don’t second-guess their decisions
-Don’t tell them to do things the way that you would do them
-Don’t check in on them on a daily basis
-Don’t punish them for mistakes
-Don’t ruminate about everything they do
Follow the advice of my friend Paul Weiner and many other exemplary leaders: Hire those great people and then get out of their way!
If you believe this content would resonate with a friend or colleague, please feel free to forward it along!
-Larry