It's really strange moving out from a space where I had very directed work, to a place that is results driven with barely any guidelines.
I'm constantly asking of myself should I be doing something? And I find myself looking for permission to others in things that I see need doing ... and yet there is no one really owning the overall situation. Or rather there is but they are so high up that they would look strangely at you if you asked.
It puts me out on a limb. I own or do not own. I do or do not do. I make it happen or it does not happen (by me anyway I guess). Before I could lean back into some comfortable process or way of working or clear direction given. Now I have to work out the best solution and make it happen. I love the creative freedom... and yet it's another way to fail.
I guess I am not as scared at failing here now though - it's taken a long time to separate that which was imbued in my spirit with what is required here.
I like my new team leader (new as of February). They are good at both setting a vision, and then giving a kind of permission to get to that vision. Two separate things.
Still a bit of an issue on feedback from them. A bit better than the last one. That's always been an issue all my working life I've realised. Best article I've seen written by a CEO makes it my responsibility to get feedback - and I'm ok with that. Or rather I've decided that hey if I want to be a good BA well then der, that's kind of my job so just extend that out personally. Also, I no longer have any belief that leadership programs seriously teach the importance of feedback, it's just such lacklustre token effort. My friend seeing the article I shared as the best I had seen to date was appalled that the article took such an approach - but then also conceded it was necessary.
Why though? It's so odd. Surely one of the key functions of leading is that coaching/directing/teaching part - and feedback should be so fundamental.
I wonder if our current society's dislike of failure is caught up in that? We don't like being seen to fail so we don't ask for feedback. A leader doesn't like seeing/dealing with their staff that fail so they don't give feedback. I suspect they are connected.
Recently took on being president of our local Toastmasters club. We are going to be a club that excels at feedback I've decided. I asked the question, who here wishes that they had had better feedback in their jobs either past or present - and no surprise everyone did. This means I also need to work on giving feedback - what is is, what it's for, why and how.
