[Self-Introduction] Management without doing it all alone <Growth Management> #016

Why not escape from the "game of doing it all alone"?

I truly understand the struggles of managers who cannot secure time for themselves while trying to keep their team together.
Working late into the night and facing unexpected trouble due to a lack of communication with members.
To break free from that situation, let's utilize "Growth Management Power," which focuses on development. In this Note, I will deliver practical ideas on how to maximize the team's overall results while fostering the growth of your members!

Escaping the game of doing it all alone

“I have to open my laptop again after the kids are asleep...”

Aren't there many middle managers who cannot finish their team's work during regular hours, always staying late in an empty office alone, or feeling forced to bring work home?

I myself, as a middle manager in a corporation, used to bring home work that I couldn't finish during the day and work alone late at night after putting my children to sleep.

The awkwardness of accidentally sending an email to a colleague late at night and getting a reply...
Days spent empathizing with each other through messages like, "We're both working late, aren't we?"

The moment you become a manager, your mission shifts from just "producing results" to the crucial task of "developing members."

On the other hand, your schedule is packed with meetings during regular hours, leaving no time for casual conversation with members, and you always look so busy that members find it hard to approach you.

As a result, you can't communicate with members, and one day, a work problem suddenly comes to light, a member falls ill, or in the worst case, someone says, "I want to resign..."

Aren't many middle managers in Japan in the same situation?

Being expected to deliver results and foster growth, it's impossible to handle it all alone!

This note is for those hardworking managers,

“How to achieve results and growth as a team without doing it all alone”

I intend to write about my challenges regarding the theory and practice of this.
I have named management that focuses not only on results but also on "development" as "Growth Management."

"Growth Management Power" is the skill to draw out the potential, opinions, and emotions of subordinates and members, enabling them to demonstrate their abilities voluntarily.

Self-introduction again

I am currently a manager at a food manufacturer, in charge of multiple projects.
Since becoming a manager, I have focused on producing results as a team by developing members, such as winning the President's Award twice with my team.

Even I, when I first became a manager, was spinning my wheels alone, convinced that:
“I have to provide the correct answers”
“I have to instruct members to get the work done”
“Correcting members' mistakes is what guidance is”

However, triggered by project management in a field I knew nothing about,
“How can I get members to tell me the necessary information?”
“How can I draw out members' motivation and get them to act proactively?”
“What are the communication methods that lead to growth?”
I started thinking about these things, learned coaching, and practiced it in the workplace.

What is Growth Management Power?

Recently, 1-on-1s have become mainstream, and in addition to the "speaking" skills that were central to traditional management, "listening" skills have become increasingly important.

In this note, I will record what I have tried regarding "development skills," focusing on how to communicate, such as "how to speak" and "how to listen" in member development.

When you say development,
“Won't the members take the initiative?”
“Isn't top-down instruction faster for producing results?”
“Won't the quality of work drop if I leave it to the members?”

You might have these concerns.
"Growth Management Power" is not about the leader losing initiative, but a way to draw out the opinions and abilities of subordinates and maximize the power of the entire team.

Top-down instructions may be effective for short-term results, but in the long term, they suppress the subordinates' autonomy and creativity, hindering growth.

On the other hand, "Growth Management" promotes member growth and produces sustainable results. Also, through appropriate feedback and support from the leader, you can enhance the performance of your members.

・I don't know how to communicate with members
・Pushy leadership doesn't suit me
・I feel frustrated because I don't feel the members' motivation
・I feel pressure to produce results for the whole team
・I have too much hands-on work and no time for myself

I aim to be of help to all team leaders and managers who have these worries.

Also,
・I'm tired of telling my children who don't study to "study"
・I'm the only one doing housework, but I actually want my family to help too
・Freelancers working in teams

This is content I would like such people to read as well.

Growth Management Research Log

While practicing the theories and skills I learned in my MBA and coaching in the field every day,

“This is truly useful!”

I will record the approaches I realized and my failures.
No special skills or knowledge are required, so please feel free to try from the parts that interest you.

By practicing "Growth Management," middle managers can learn new leadership skills and maximize the potential power of their subordinates and team members.

As a result,
・Team members are working energetically
・Active opinions are being shared, and new ideas are emerging
・Members are growing and taking on even more challenging work
・I have time for myself and can spend time on what I really want to do

I aim to realize such a state.
Rather than just top-down instructions and management, I want to research the process of improving team motivation and performance by drawing out the opinions and emotions of subordinates and building relationships of trust.

Let's take a step together toward becoming a manager who "doesn't do it all alone"!