PEOPLE MANAGEMENT

Team, task and individual: the three core concerns of management

In his famous Action-Centred Leadership model John Adair says managers should have full command of the team, task and individual roles and be able to focus on each according to the situation. In my experience, managers often know their technical field well but feel less confident about their responsibilities in delegating, supervising, giving effective feedback or clarifying strategy. We are expected to coach team members to reach the standard expected; have difficult conversations with peers, seniors and assistants; intercede on behalf of our staff with others in the company and pay attention to the overall welfare of the team. All this in addition to ensuring the day-to-day operational job gets done.

It’s so easy to put off tasks we find difficult, and this is where a person from outside the organisation can really help to move things along, by advising on good practice, introducing new techniques and helping you map out your role.