Wikipedia says that bandwidth management is the process of measuring and controlling the traffic packets on a network link to avoid filling the link to capacity or overfilling the link which would result in poor performance.
Sitting behind your computer everyone knows the frustration you experience when you have “poor bandwidth”. Your productivity is limited and work-flow is disrupted. A frustrating experience. Poor management bandwidth can result in similar frustrations. So how do you (managers) know if you have the “bandwidth” for the job?
Good management (and managers) are constantly reviewing themselves. Are my priorities consistent with those of the company? Am I meeting my obligations? Do I have time (available) for my employees? Do I have time (available) for my associates? Is my work environment filled with last minute tasks? Am I burning “mid-night oil? Do I delegate clearly? Do I delegate too much? Do I take time to plan? Do I respond pro-actively to criticism or do I go into attack mode?
If you answer any of the previous questions with a no, you need to check your personal bandwidth. You may be “over your head”. You may have too much responsibility. So how could this happen?
Good employees reveal themselves in many ways. Others are naturally attracted to them. As a result, these top performers are in demand. We want them on our team....our projects. They continue to get more. More work, more responsibility, and more problems to solve.
The problem is that every good employee is not a natural candidate for management. False ambition and the “peer pressure” to grow in an organization can ruin good employees if we fail to align the skills of our employees to the targeted career path. So, what are the lessons?
Be sure that your “ambition” for your employees matches the employee’s career ambition.
Determine if a “management track” or “professional track” is best for future advancement. Among other skills, managers must be assertive, decisive and display high energy. If a professional track is more suited to your employee, outline the essential knowledge they must pursue to become “expert” in their field of work.
Take your time. Too much responsibility too fast can discredit them in the eyes of their staff. Once you lose the confidence of your staff you can’t get it back.
Mentor them. Concentrate on the low hanging fruit (opportunities). Build through success.
So, what’s the solution to a bandwidth problem? It’s time to re-group. Re-focus and re-prioritize your role and responsibility. Meet with your manager. Have an honest, candid discussion of “how you see yourself, your role and your performance”. There will be no surprises. The outcome of this discussion will be a renewal of your career aspirations.
Evaluate your team. Test your diversity and master the skills that allow you to grow and mature as a manager.