Take Control: Player vs Coach Mode

Introduction

It’s 5pm, you’re finally done with meetings and you’ve replied to your direct report’s last question. Only now, it’s time for you to do your own work.  

Do you feel like you’re constantly switching between manager mode and contributor mode, and feeling exhausted?

For newly promoted managers, it’s common to get stuck with the previous workload while trying to make the transition to management. The day-to-day work doesn’t magically disappear, but what are you supposed to do with it? In some companies, managers are expected to perform some contributor tasks while also owning management ones. 

Regardless of how you got here, the outcome is the same. You’re overwhelmed, holding onto too many individual contributor tasks, and doing nothing particularly well. 

If you don't take control, you're going to burn out. A report from Predictive Index found that, 79% of middle managers say they’re at risk of burnout from the stress of managing people.

Gartner research found that job manageability - work that is "focused, executable and sustainable" - makes managers 5x times more effective than skill development. The trick-down effect on teams is significant: "Employees reporting to effective managers are 15.4 times more likely to be high performers and 3.2 times more likely to stay with their employer" (report).

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The Player-Coach Spectrum

You need to take control of where you are on the Player-Coach spectrum. Because right now, you're stuck in Player mode even though your Coaching duties are piling up.

What is this thing? The Player-Coach spectrum is the balance of individual contributor tasks you need to fulfill (i.e. Player) vs the work you need to do to support your direct reports (i.e. Coach). 

There’s no perfect place to be on the spectrum, but there is a right place for the role you’re in. This will depend on how your company defines the manager role, the priorities of your team, your skill set, and what you’ve agreed with your own manager. 

The most important thing is to be intentional about where you need to be in order to succeed as a leader.

Take Control

Acknowledging the problem is an important step. So, pat yourself on the back because it’s going to get better from here. 

Here are the steps you can take to take control:

Step 1: Size the work: Look at your calendar and to-do list. Write everything you're doing in one of two columns - the Player or Coach column. Estimate the % of time you're spending in either column in a given week or month. 

Step 2: Talk with your own manager about what's the right balance for you. It can be helpful to talk in % - “I’m going to aim for 60% Coach and 40% Player”.  

There are a lot of management roles where it's completely acceptable to have a high percentage of Player work. But this means there is a tradeoff - you’re not going to be able to take on as many management responsibilities. 

Step 3: Get clear on priorities. This is a great opportunity for you to discuss priorities and timing with your manager. For example, you might agree that IC work is really important right now until next quarter when the big project is done. Or you may need to make the tough call and let IC work fall behind so that you can hire 2 new team members to do that work faster. 

If you find yourself doing random tasks, go back to your prioritized list. Stick to the important stuff. 

Step 4: Delegate. Once you agree on what's the right Player-Coach balance, you might find work that needs to get done but is not a top priority for you to do it. This is your moment to delegate (see How to Delegate Like a Pro)! 

Consider the strengths of your direct reports and line the work up with these whenever possible. Do not delegate without considering the stakes of the work and the experience level your direct report(s) has. If the stakes are high or they have low experience, spend more time transitioning the work to them with check-ins scheduled. If the stakes are low and/or they have experience, use a 1:1 to ask them to take ownership and train them.

Finally, label how the new work contributes to their development and career goals. If the work sucks but needs to be done, label it. Everyone knows so it's better to say, "I know this isn't the most glamorous work, but it's really important because of XYZ and I appreciate your consistency here".

Step 5: Stay on top of this! Now that you have the language, keep this as an ongoing dialogue with your manager. In 1:1s you can do a Player-Coach pulse check.

You don’t have to be stuck in Player mode forever. Take control of the balance, and lead with intention.