How Many

How many people can one person manage? For the author Marcus Buckingham there is a simple answer and that is the number of people with whom the manager can have a regular and consistent 15 minute weekly check in. So for some that number will be zero and for others it will be a handful.

This simple observation has many implications but first we need to understand what Buckingham defines as a check in. You can either go to ‘Love and Work’ and read Buckingham’s own words starting at page 213 or ask me for my transcript.

The 15 minute check in differs from any other interaction you may have. It is very simple, It is very personal to the individual and is about how she turns her loves into contribution at work. It is not about performance. It is not a review. It is about helping the person for whom you would be a leader to recognise their strengths and in doing so helping her get more enjoyment and fulfilment from her work.

The job of every leader is to elevate the level at which her people perform whilst minimising any stress. We can’t help people do that unless we understand what they love doing and what they loathe doing. We can’t do that for ourselves unless we understand what we love and what we loathe.

A major implication is that we cannot lead someone well if we don’t really understand them and we can never truly understand them without a regular focussed conversation.

So the questions for this week are;

• How many people are you trying to manage?
• How often do you do a structured and disciplined 15 minute check in with them?
• Do the answers above meet Buckingham’s criteria?
• What is this telling you needs to change?

If you need any help, reach out

Many successful business owners eventually hit a wall on growth and struggle to climb it alone. When you work with me you get a fresh perspective, a solid plan, and customised coaching so you can grow and scale your business safely and at speed.

To check whether I can help you on that journey https://calendly.com/iankinnery/canweworktogether