When Employees Train Managers...

I’m not one of those bosses that has to have all the answers. I like to empower my employees, make them feel intelligent and help them find fulfillment and purpose in their position.

Instead, I’m talking about how to handle when your employee has the answers because they are TRAINING you. There are many situations in which this could arise, and it can be a tough pill to swallow.

In my case, I am a brand new manager being trained by my employee that has been with the company for...28 years. Not a particularly ideal position to be in for a new manager. At first I simply went with it- I treated her as if she were just an objective trainer.

But she is not objective. She is critiquing how quickly I catch on, how I react to her instructions, and how I manage her answers. And the toughest part of the process is somehow maintaining authority throughout the training, because technically, she is presently the expert on the subject matter.
I can hear you already, Jobacle readers. “Better you than me!” or even “Good luck...moohahaha”. But what about when your employees head up a software initiative and have to train you on that? Or worse, they just left college and seem to have a minor in Excel spreadsheets? Going to them for help can feel demoralizing and put you in a compromising position as their superior.

So what do you do when you find yourself in this situation?

*Let them live up the moment. This is their time to shine. They know more than their boss- what is a better feeling than that?

*Give them feedback on their training. This does two things: it reminds them that you are evaluating their teaching skills and ability to communicate their knowledge, and it is an opportunity for growth and improvement for them.

*Finally, make suggestions on possible process improvements or training techniques. No, don’t point out everything they are doing WRONG (it is easier than you thought to be the critical boss, huh?). Instead, point out which parts of the current process make sense and are working, and then bring up some things that could make it even better. After all, we have to know some of the answers.

If you have been in this position before, what have you found to maintain the balance of powers? On the contrary, if you have trained your boss before, what are some things she/he did that made it a good process?

Comments

[Ben Eubanks]

I've never had to train my manager before, but she does come to me with technical questions and for comments on some of her work. She is always gracious and appreciative, and it makes me feel like a million bucks (which isn't too shabby with this economy!).

I think taking the opportunity to critique her teaching and training skills is an excellent way to make use of your time together. Excellent idea, Lauren.

[Matthew Clemon]

A properly structured organization would not allow a subordinate train their superior. I think you have hit on one of the fundamental problems of today's corporate environment.

[Ben Eubanks]

@ Matthew
Not all companies have endless resources to let people train others on basic use of programs like Access or Excel. While it may not be ideal, using a "cheaper" employee (in terms of labor costs) to teach someone the same tasks as a more senior employee should not be discounted as an option.

[Dan Erwin]

Lauren: Brilliant post. The higher you go in an organization, the more you'll find yourself using subordinates to "train"you. Indeed, the best senior execs frame their responsibilities this way: develop and work the organizational strategy, be responsible for selecting and providing training systems for the talent, and handle the administrivia. Any exec worth his salt wiill tell you that the lower levels are handling project and processes about which he's clueless. His task is to interpret, frame, and strategize for those projects. So they inevitably train execs.

I'm currently working with a very successful senior client in a top service industry who put it this way: "I don't know much about their processes and work." My task is to create the strategy for organizational success, and make certain my people's objectives are appropriate for this strategy. Then I regularly check with them to identify their training needs--and make certain the training gets delivered either from others internally--or from vendors."

Here's a recurring comment from an IT exec: "I haven't programmed in ten years. That would just get in the way of my business. That's my managers and their subordinates task. My tasks are all strategic and developmental."

Subordinates who have been around the barn a few time readily understand that they have expertise their bosses don't. That's not only inevitable, but appropriate. And subordinates regularly train superiors--they just don't use that language. Subordinates work with the little picture. Managers work with the big picture.

www.danerwin.com

[Ben Eubanks]

@ Dan
That's exactly what I'm talking about. The little/big picture is the perfect way to describe it. Everyone can't be great at everything.
That's the reason companies outsource some functions. If it isn't related to your core competency, it might need to be outsourced (or passed along to a subordinate).
Thanks for the fantastic comment, Dan!

[Lauren]

There is no "right or wrong" with this concept. It is only how you handle the situation.

Matthew- not every company or department will be set up with a typical structure. In my case, this is the ONLY option for me to learn the job. No one else holds the knowledge- literally. I am certainly getting as much external training as possible, but for the departmental-specific topics, my employee holds the keys to the kingdom. The flaw that this shows? Poor hiring with the previous office manager. Even my boss admits that now. Otherwise the old office manager could've transitioned me in...but they left the post almost a year ago and it has been sitting vacant.

Dan- this is such a good point. And a really tough one for managers to accept. Many managers by nature are perfectionists and have difficulty letting go of the actual process so that they are able to see the "big picture". The best execs know how to hire impeccable talent to run the show for them and are more of orchestrators. Delegation is key, but you have to have the foundation for it first.

Ben- thanks for the reminder! And it does feel good when our managers appreciate us, doesn't it?

[GeekMBA360]

Great post. I think a very important attribute of a great manager is his/her ability to listen. There will always be something that a subordinate could teach the manager. It's up to the manager to put aside the egos, and be willing to listen, and learn.