Have you ever found yourself in a misfit role in your career? Maybe you’ve been underutilized, unable to unleash your potential. Or maybe you’ve under-performed by falling short of role expectations.
I’d wager that most of us have been in these situations at some point in our careers (hopefully not for long). And if you haven’t, store this message for when you do.
Even with good managers, the odds of underperforming or being underutilized are high. I didn't fully recognize this until I substantially grew the fit-flavors team and capabilities over recent years.
What I’ve learned, above all, is that dedicated, excellent team members are worth their weight in gold… HOWEVER, that doesn’t mean they can tackle the next big project. I’ve realized it's my duty to nurture and support my team members (we term this “resourcing”) so they perform well AND make sound decisions on filling roles based on someone’s strengths.
In short, I fully own the responsibility of providing my team what they need to excel in their roles. This starts with placing them in roles that match their current abilities. And as they surpass these capabilities – providing opportunities for growth.
This is tough. Actually…really tough.
I tend to lead with emotion, loving my team above anything. I seek the best for everyone and always push for rapid team member growth. Yet, I've learned that excessive pressure, even from a place of love, might break them. To prevent burnout and maintain open feedback, we invested heavily in the last couple of years, building performance, culture, and manager feedback reviews, and fostering collaborative meetings.
The effort is paying off. fit-flavors’ culture is better than ever. I’m truly proud of my team for stepping up when nudged and for speaking out before their rubber band snaps.
In the coming months, I look forward to using resources like the Culture Index to align the team with suitable roles and growth opportunities. If you’ve never heard of Culture Index, it’s a tool that helps you identify your innate characteristics and how those apply to your role. Ultimately it has helped us get unfulfilled team members into the right position and hire the right people for the right roles.
This is a genuinely enjoyable workplace!! I can’t fathom how blessed I am to lead this team. And…a little plug, if you or someone you know is looking for an awesome career, you should join us!! Check out our careers page.
Yours,
Jillian
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