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I would definitely not let them go it alone. It’s been really tough for juniors out of college to onboard remotely as is. Something I like to ask anyone who reports up to me is to think about how they learn best, how they like to be managed, etc. the answers to those questions guide how I train and lead them. Also remember, they don’t know what they don’t know so whenever you have a tip/trick, just let them know that and tell them it’s something you find helpful!
Great advice! I feel clearer on how I can help now and what to ask. Thanks!
Not sure what all you’ve discussed in these 1:1’s but it might help them if you just ask what they may need help with or just give them the floor to talk. You may have given them a lot of advice but sometimes just giving them space to be heard can help. When it’s your first job it can be really tough, especially if you feel you’re not doing well, so giving them that space without judgment will help them communicate to you what they feel might be the issue.
Id just do your best to read them. It can be very intimidating to be transparent with your boss when you feel you arent doing well. Id also take a look at the overall company processes and see how well the company is operating and if there opportunity for improvement there. Im generally an organized person but ive worked at companies where everything was such a mess that i never really found my footing and im sure they didnt see the best version of me… but it was the best i could provide without ever getting a grasp on how to get things done within their frameworks.
I have a junior direct report with the same struggles. One thing that’s been helping her is setting aside blocks of time for specific things.
Is she the one over committing or are multiple people dumping things on her plate? One is a her problem (that you can help guide her thru). The other is likely something you’ll have to continue to fight for her externally on.
I made my junior get into the habit of sending me their to do priority list each morning and we’ll discuss time needed per task. Sometimes a project that would take me 1 hour takes them 5, so I ask, is it a knowledge gap? I find when you lack knowledge you lack confidence and speed - so you go in blind and slowly. If it’s a knowledge gap, I try to find an example of what’s needed and I’ll give a quick overview of the bigger why. I.e. Perception mapping is a simple, visual slide that shows a client how consumers or future consumers perceive the brand. We do this to see if these perceptions align with what the client believes about their brand. The disconnect is where the opportunity can lie. Or if the future perception doesn’t align with the brands current perception, why and what needs to be done to get them there? - I find this insight is so much more helpful than explaining the definition of a task. They understand what they’re working towards and makes them feel aligned
Are you me? This is what I’ve been doing and working wonders. I also have them do this for their juniors so they can start understanding delegation better.
If you use teams, I utilize their planner tool and eased my time into using it and it’s been really successful for keeping us on track and understanding the full teams workload.
This is their first job agency side out of college so we’re being patient and helpful as much as possible. Sometimes I worry I’m smothering them with advice.
Have a look at 15Five. They sell software to help manage line reports, but their blog is full of useful information!
https://www.15five.com/blog/
They have an onboarding form with questions for you and your line report that's in line with the suggestions on the first comment on this thread. So you don't have to start with a blank page.
This resource has improved my ability to help my line reports dramatically! And it's true, not everyone will be able to open up to their manager, but if you open up as well they are more likely to do it.
Also know that with most of our entry level employees, organisation and time management is the hardest skill to acquire. I see the same in my partner's industry (architecture). So you're not alone, and you should definitely help them! But know it takes time.
Good luck!
Thanks I’ll check it out!