How to be a leader at work while developing new skills

Johnny C. Taylor Jr. tackles your human resources questions as part of a series for USA TODAY. Taylor is president and CEO of the Society for Human Resource Management, the world’s largest HR professional society and author of “Reset: A Leader’s Guide to Work in an Age of Upheaval.”

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Question: I recently started work in a new department. Just as I was becoming proficient at my job, the lead on my team announced her retirement in nine months. How can I best prepare to assume her duties in the interim? – L

Answer: Your lead’s retirement announcement can be a terrific opportunity to develop new skills and demonstrate your ability to take on new tasks and responsibilities. A nine-month period is plenty of time to learn someone else’s role. Having this much time is not common. Retiring employees often want to ensure they’re leaving the job in good hands, so they’re typically cooperative with their replacements to help ensure continuity and smoothness in the transition of their job duties. There are several steps you can take to be prepared to step in:

1. Understand your lead’s role: Spend as much time as possible shadowing her. Observe her daily tasks, decision-making processes, and how she handles different situations. Don’t hesitate to ask about the reasoning behind her actions and decisions. This will help you understand the nuances of the role.
2. Expand your knowledge and skills: Determine what skills and knowledge are crucial for your lead’s role. These might include technical skills, industry knowledge, or management techniques. Ensure all processes, procedures, and essential information are well-documented. This will be invaluable when you need to refer to it later. Focus on developing any deficient areas identified through training. Gradually start taking on some of your lead’s duties. This hands-on experience will help you build confidence and allow your colleague to provide feedback while she’s still employed.
3. Continue to build strong relationships: Work to strengthen your relationships with team members and other departments. Consider asking for feedback from your lead and other colleagues. Use this feedback to improve and adjust your approach as necessary. Your approachability and willingness to collaborate will make the transition smoother for everyone involved and help you gain valuable allies across the organization.
4. Help create a transition plan: Work with your lead to create a formal transition plan outlining key responsibilities, important deadlines, and any training you need to complete. Establish clear milestones to track your progress to ensure you’re on track to fully assume her duties when the time comes. Make sure you ask any outstanding questions before her retirement. This includes clarifying expectations and understanding any challenges you might face.
5. Maintain a positive attitude: Approach this opportunity with positivity. Your desire to succeed is clear from your question, and with preparation and determination, you’ll be ready to step into the lead’s shoes when the time comes. Demonstrating your commitment and enthusiasm for the role can help reassure both your lead and your manager that you’re ready for the increased responsibility.

Fully assume the role’s duties before she leaves so you can experience the nuances of the job first-hand while you still have her support and wisdom. Having her guidance in those few weeks will give you time to uncover any elements of the role you may have missed and provide a safety net as you settle in.  

By taking these steps, you can prepare yourself effectively for your lead’s retirement and set yourself up for success in your new role. Best of luck to you!

I just had my mid-year review with my manager, who highlighted a few areas I need to work on. I want to improve in these areas by the end of the year. What’s the best way to ensure I’m on track without continually demanding my manager’s time for constant feedback? – Patrick

First, let me applaud your efforts to be professional and proactive about your recent feedback. If you’re not meeting with your manager regularly, you may want to suggest that. Regular meetings keep the lines of communication open while providing an opportunity to ensure your goals and priorities align with your manager’s and the organization’s.

Start by breaking down the feedback into specific, actionable items. Determine what success looks like for each area. Make your goals SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound). Assess what you need to improve, and consider additional training, courses, or shadowing a co-worker.

If you need to improve time management, set a goal to meet all deadlines for the next quarter by using calendar reminders and productivity tools.

Seek a mentor within the organization who excels in the areas you need to improve. Consider external courses, webinars, or workshops to aid your development.

Provide a written update to your manager detailing what you’ve accomplished and what your current focus is. This keeps your manager informed without requiring constant meetings. Create specific milestones to track your progress. Ensure these milestones are spread out enough to allow for meaningful progress, but frequent enough to keep you accountable. After completing a significant task or project, ask for feedback on what went well and where you could improve.

Arrange a follow-up meeting a few weeks after your review to discuss your action plan and seek initial feedback. Use these meetings to discuss what’s working, your challenges, and how you plan to overcome them. Be open to adjusting your plan in response to your manager’s feedback and any new insights you gain.

Regularly reflect on your progress and be honest with yourself about areas that still need improvement. Demonstrate your commitment to professional growth by taking initiative and showing you value and acting on feedback.

Creating a structured approach to addressing feedback shows your commitment to professional growth. You can significantly improve in the areas highlighted during your review by developing an action plan, using available resources, maintaining regular communication, and owning your development. This proactive approach helps you grow and demonstrates to your manager your dedication to continuous improvement and willingness to take feedback seriously.