Physical impossibility to be in two places at once? Yes. Absolutely possible though for any good leader? Again, I would say yes.
I’ve had the privilege and pleasure of coaching several senior leaders this year and helping them tackle some significant performance issues. One of the common challenges that continues to come up is developing and supporting others as they elevate their individual capabilities and skills.
I’m guessing many of you reading this have all kinds of suggestions on how best to do this based on your own experiences as leaders. The real question though is how do you do this when you aren’t always able to stand or sit by their side? Well, I would offer – as I have to several of the leaders I’ve been coaching – the absolute possibility of being in two places at once.
One of my coaching clients who was recently promoted to President & COO of his association frequently travels for work. He’s accountable for day-to-day operations in his organization, so his employees need regular access to him. How does he accomplish this while traveling? He calls his assistant once a day while away just to see who might need his input on something. Moving forward, he’s going to add another one of my favorite virtual leadership practices to the mix by having his assistant txt message him proactively if anybody needs him rather than relying on him to stop what he’s doing and check in himself often to find out that nobody needs him in that very moment. This will have him seem even closer and more available to those he works with even when he might think he’s inaccessible and far away.
Another one of my coaching clients is head of sales in his organization, and he’s been grooming a new outside sales person for the past few months. That has included talking to Joe, the new sales guy, about several key accounts he’d be taking over and then letting Joe shadow him at a major trade show conference. This is great when both Joe and Jim, the head of sales, can be together. Well, this week came the time for Joe to go to his first conference on his own.
Jim actually would have liked to have been there with Joe, but he had too many other critical customer meetings to handle. To be in two places at once, Jim walked through the target list with Joe before the show, and he plans to debrief with him next week upon his return. With some coaching, Jim also decided to email some motivational messages to Joe throughout the week as well as schedule quick status calls after Joe’s first customer meeting and before his last. This way, Jim could all but be present at the conference with Joe from about 1,000 miles away!
Being present does not always require one to be physically present. Sometimes, it’s more than sufficient just to make sure your team knows you’re there for them if they need you. And sometimes, it’s even better to do so from afar so they can spread their wings a little further and practice being self-sustaining. It’s being there as if you’re really there!
