To set the stage, consider what seagulls are notorious for eating scraps and dropping poop on people. Well, leaders are known to dump work on their people too by swooping in, dropping reactive work, and flying away as quickly as they arrived without setting the proper context and time to complete the job effectively. Notice I did not say perfectly, just effectively. Now you might wonder if I’m a reactive leader if I occasionally need to swoop in, dump and fly away, does that make me a bad leader? My short response – is NO! But, if you swoop and fly away regularly, maybe it’s time to check your seagull ways at the figurative door and get your S*^% together.
Here are some tips to start squashing your seagull tendencies and showing up proactively for your team, peers, and leadership.
Tip 1 – Set priorities and re-evaluate once a quarter at a minimum
We all try to set priorities for the year, but S*^% happens. Companies may eliminate funding, new initiatives at a broader company level are introduced, and companies begin executing more mergers, acquisitions, and divestitures. Whatever the reason, your priorities may change, so you must re-prioritize projects, resources, and funding. If you still need to re-evaluate priorities regularly, start quarterly reviews, make the decision, and communicate. You will make your team less stressed and in a proactive versus reactive state.
Tip 2 – Brainstorm what success looks like and drive proactivity
While it may seem obvious to you what success looks like, your team members are not mind readers. Sit down with the individual or group and brainstorm what demonstrates success. Are there reporting requirements needed to track compliance? Can work be templated to drive efficiency and accuracy? There are so many more asks from you as a leader that force people and teams to be reactive. Figure out what you should change to drive more proactiveness from your team.
Tip 3 – Track down a “who” and let them figure out the “how”
The authors of “Who NOT How” suggest you find a “who” that can figure out the “how”—what a sure way to squash your seagull leadership style. To set the context of what you are looking for, consider a one-page document that, once completed, sets your team up for success. Keep the template simple; try to make it a 5-10 min exercise that forces you to share the right level of details. Now, I am not suggesting this is necessary for all your team asks, but bigger ones that they have limited to no context of, be kind, be smart and set them up for success. Let them be your “Who” and give them the opportunity to determine how the work gets done.
Tip 4 – Delegate the task way before the ask arrives in your inbox
Often, tasks land in our inbox with significant notice to accomplish the task. With the sheer volume of emails the ask can get lost and push you into reactive mode. However, there are many ways to squash your active involvement by delegating, before they land in your inbox and gear up for a seagull management moment.
- If, in a meeting, someone says, “I’ll send out the request details to all of you after the call,” consider right then and there by asking them to send a request to someone on your team. Be sure to give that individual a heads-up that the ask is coming.
- If an email comes in once you read it, forward it to your capable team member by Cc’ing the email’s originator so they can follow up with that individual directly. Now that is a great way to eliminate the seagull tendencies.
- Begin bringing your team members to various meetings that are not highly confidential where they become aware of the what, why, and when without you having to put in any extra effort. It gives your team more exposure to more senior leaders and is also the second best way to reduce seagull management.
Tip 5 – Turn seagull tendencies into proactive development opportunities
Many people on your team would be ecstatic to take the lead on work that grows their capabilities. Why not free up your calendar by increasing capabilities in your team when they take the lead on a project or initiative? No better way to eliminate seagull management than to arm your team with the bandwidth to lead initiatives. Make sure you support them by acting like a sounding board while giving them the confidence to excel.
To eliminate those darn seagull tendencies and increase your leadership brand capital, I recommend you actively implement all five tips and build an amazingly successful team.
I want to thank Sarah Strocel for offering the visual and blog idea. Perfect concept to deliver a series of tips that not only help you be a fantastic leader but also help your team be the best versions of themselves.
Follow Penny on LinkedIn or checkout theizzyway.ca for more of her blog posts.