How would you feel if you were promoted to a new managerial position, but given no training? This sort of scenario is, unfortunately, all too common – across all sorts of sectors and organisations. Our fifth anonymous leader, Ira, knows this all too well.
We chatted to Ira about the time she stepped in as a leader, to stop a group of brand-new managers from starting day one with zero guidance. But first, let’s get to know a bit more about Ira.
Currently working for the Home Office, Ira started her career in the public services sector, joining a governmental organisation immediately after leaving college.
It was during this period that Ira worked as a senior manager, handling case files of a sensitive nature. On top of her day-to-day role, she also line-managed the junior case managers below her.
But suddenly, eight new managers were coming to join her team…
The Scenario: Thrown In At The Deep End
When Ira herself became a manager, she was thrown in at the deep end. “And it was horrible”, she recalls.
“You end up feeling like you’re a burden and a nuisance, and that you’re not doing [the role] as well as you could do”. What’s more, “you might make mistakes and it’s stressful”!
Knowing first-hand what it’s like to brave new waters (without any armbands) Ira set out to change the process. “I didn’t think it was right for that to be inflicted on anyone else”, she explains, furrowing her brow at the memory.
The situation called for strong leadership and some all-important training and support, which came in the form of Ira’s “implementation of an induction programme”.
“I thought, I have a duty of care duty to these case managers”.
As Ira describes it to us, the organisation was initially going to have the newly promoted group “hit the ground running”. But Ira knew that “the original plan was more of a non-plan”.
Considering that a real human and welfare element is weaved into the fabric of the case manager role, she had to step in, creating a plan of action before their arrival.
Gradual Induction: Wading In The Shallow End
Creating a new programme from scratch was no easy task, and it was the first of its kind. Ira, quite literally, shook up the usual induction process. To start, she “put together training notes and flowcharts of the process”, detailing the ins and outs of the role.
Then, on the new managers’ first day, she had to enforce her training scheme. The rest of the department was so stuck in its ways; they almost assigned complex cases to the new managers, the minute they stepped through the door.
“They would have been overwhelmed”, Ira explains. So, despite being busy with her own workload, she stepped in to prevent that from happening. She started, instead, with a simple tour of the facilities.
“Sometimes when you start a job on day one, your focus is on practical arrangements”. Taking in your surroundings is important – finding the tea-making station and locating the toilets. Log-ins and passwords can also be a distraction.
“You need to allow people time to do that”, Ira stresses. “Don’t start piling on the pressure before they even have a pencil”.
New Training: Passing Out The Life Jackets
With the first hectic day out of the way, the new case managers could ease into training. And Ira had developed a thorough plan – she doesn’t do things by halves!
“I delivered ‘classroom’ training”, to properly detail out “all the steps required to progress a case to its conclusion”.
“I organised talks with other subject matter experts within the department”, to offer a broader perspective on the job and organisation as a whole.
Ira also created formal material that could be referred to whenever, beyond the initial ‘classroom’ setting. This material was literally the first of its kind, as Ira claims, “nothing had been documented before”.
Ira provided a step-by-step guide to handling a case. This document made sure that any new case manager couldn’t go wrong, as long as they followed the guide!
Each time a new case landed, the team could print a fresh copy of the guide and simply tick off the tasks as they went. They were able to keep track of the complex job, which comes with hurdles and stresses from start to finish.
Identifying The Risk: Dangerous Waters
As this story has shown, the induction programme Ira created wasn’t something she was tasked with. The need for proper training was something she identified and insisted upon.
“I recognised the risk if this didn’t take place […] the risk to the organisation, the team, and individual subjects of cases”.
“If they had just started without any training, there would have potentially been delays, mistakes, safeguarding issues, and even negative publicity”.
Mental well-being was her main concern. The delicate nature of case files, for all involved, was not something to be taken lightly.
Throwing the new team in at the deep end “would have created an environment where you were firefighting mistakes and doing ad-hoc advice”. But after stepping in as a leader, “a more constructive, comprehensive package” of training was set up as a safety net.
As Ira further explains: “I never turned anyone away”.
“I would spend half my day helping them, and the other half on my own cases”, working right alongside her team.
The Outcome: Smooth Sailing
Thanks to Ira’s insistence on wading in and wearing a life jacket, the case managers were fully integrated into the department. “They were supported and developed”, not left to struggle in rough seas.
Cases were completed on time and to a high standard! According to Ira’s own manager, the induction created “a team that was upbeat, involved, and passionate about their work”.
Her support was, of course, ongoing. “It can take a while to get all the knowledge” she recalls, “so it’s important to sustain a level of motivation, positivity and encouragement”.
Any Top Tips?
“Demonstrate credibility and confidence”.
When you’re asked a question, can you give a helpful answer from a position of experience?
“Create a collaborative and positive environment”.
Be approachable and appear available. Are you taking an interest and engaging with people?