Meghan Patrick-Crane, associate director, talent development at Firewood, one of Adweek’s 100 Fastest Growing Agencies, explains how you can inspire your employees.
1. Share your expertise, don’t guard it.
You’re in this position for a reason. You have a talent, an expertise, a value. It’s easy to think that guarding that expertise can make you even more valuable, but as a manager your objective is to help inspire and develop the people who work for you. That means sharing what you know so those on your team can grow.
2. Know your impact.
As a manager, you’re also a leader. Your actions in all areas of the workplace—client meetings, offsites, internal meetings, kitchen conversations—hold more weight than they did before, so self-awareness is important. Your employees are looking to you to set a positive example.
3. Trust your people.
Part of your role is delegating work. This can be one of the hardest things for a new manager because of our natural fear of losing control. Trusting your team is empowering. Doing so can help your team rise to a challenge and feel valued. It can also give them space to make mistakes and learn. Trust them to receive the feedback they need to grow. And most importantly, be brave enough to give it.