What percentage of your energy and time do you use managing up versus down, across and out? Its a question I have been considering recently as I compared my previous life as a corporate line manager to the typical line manager I observe today.
My sense and concern is that the modern manager spends way more energy focusing up. Also the nature of their upward focus is in providing information and generally reducing the anxiety of their manager, or managers manager. This is in contrast to receiving counsel, support and energy down from their boss when they are struggling.
The result is the modern manager does not spend the same time, or direct as much energy, down into developing their team. When they do focus down it is often through high intensity, staged efforts, such as offsite sessions, rather than an ongoing process. Managers at all levels have short tenures and mastery of their area of responsibility is less common than in the past. Is this driving the upward pull on information and anxiety reduction?
Ask yourself, what is my profile of energy direction i.e. how much energy is directed up, down, across and out? Does this need to change? Would my reports benefit from more development and support from me? Would my boss support this or discuss with me? If you feel you couldn’t discuss this with your boss, it could be a warning signal.
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