In general, exceptional performers will find themselves promoted to higher positions; these promotions generally mean that individuals will now also be supervising former peers. This activity is important because in the process of embracing a position of power, new managers also need to learn how to empower their former peers.

The goal of this activity is to show how part of being an effective manager is empowering your peers.

Read the case about Jennifer's promotion to supervisor. Then, using the 3-step problem-solving approach, answer the questions that follow.

Jennifer was a highly regarded and top-performing marketing associate at an international pharmaceutical company. Due to her exceptional performance and other skills and abilities, she was promoted to manager. This transition meant she was now the supervisor of her former peers.

Her first assignment was a new product to be launched in a foreign market. To formulate and ultimately execute a successful product launch, Jennifer and her team would need to gather market data, learn and share information about the competition, analyze financial details, coordinate with other product managers, hire and work with an advertising agency, and secure regulatory approval.

Jennifer had personal experience and success doing most of these things, but now she had to do them on a much larger scale and in the context of a team she managed. Being a high performer, she was determined to get all the details right. Therefore, when any element was late, done poorly, or just not up to her expectations, she stepped in and did it herself. Her work life quickly expanded to 15-hour days and weekends.

Jennifer's involvement in so many aspects of the product launch prevented her from mentoring and developing her team members in the ways they clearly needed. They seemed to lack a sense of accountability, knowing that if their work wasn't up to speed the boss would step in and complete or correct it. Jennifer noticed this and feared her team was not learning to produce high-quality work on its own. Not only would this hurt the current project, but other departments and teams would come to know it and be less willing to work with them in the future, damaging Jennifer's own performance and interests and those of her team.

Jennifer was extremely reluctant to go to her boss for help, because she had been told she'd earned her new position, and it was a test for another role with still greater responsibility.

Assuming you are Jennifer, what would you do?

Apply the 3-Step Problem-Solving Approach

Step 1:Define the problem in the case.

Step 2:Identify the potential causes.

Step 3:Recommend what you would do if you were Jennifer.

Footnotes

Adapted from R. Ashkenas, "First-Time Managers, Don't Teams' Work for Them,"Harvard Business Review, September 21, 2015, https:// hbr.org/2015/09/first-time-managers-dont-do-your-teams-work-for-them.