How to… manage sideways
- Published: 14 August 2008 14:48
- Author: LGC
- More by this Author
- Last Updated: 13 August 2008 16:27
Top tips to improve your management skills.
How would you rate your management skills? Chances are you are better at managing some groups than others. You may excel at leading a team, or working with senior colleagues, but can you 'manage sideways' — that is, manage your peer group?
At first glance, this may not seem like a 'management' relationship at all, but all workplace relationships involve some aspects of management skill. If you really know how to engage with your peers, this could help boost your performance both now and in the future — your colleagues may well become a network that can benefit you throughout your career.
In short, the smart manager knows how to manage sideways, so here are some tips on how it's done.
Find common ground. It can be easier for peers to see each other as competitors than to work in collaboration. So build links with people at your level by focusing on values and challenges that you share. This common ground might include areas of mutual interest relating to the work of the council, or professional development issues.
Establish trust. Managing your peers means establishing a relationship in which they trust you — and you trust them. Try and work on joint projects, establish a good rapport and find out what they think about their role, the work of the authority as a whole, and the wider political context. The higher the level of trust, the greater the willingness of colleagues to work with you in the future.
Offer support. If you give support to a work associate, they will feel a sense of obligation to do the same for you. This is not a cynical approach, just common sense. But be fair about it — only take as much as you are given, and aim to be seen as a giver, not just a taker.
Ask — and listen. Asking intelligent, well-informed questions establishes you as someone who is professional, and has valuable expertise. Listening to the answers shows that your respect the professionalism and expertise of others. And you might even learn something, too.
