The Top 3 Challenges Executive-Level Managers Face and How to Overcome Them

If you're an executive-level manager, you know all about the challenges a manager faces. You're responsible for leading your team and meeting the demands of your position, but you also have to find time for yourself. Many managers find themselves in over their heads as they try to balance the demands of their position with their personal lives. They need to be able to handle pressure, lead by example, and make tough decisions. Juggling work and personal responsibilities can be difficult, but it's not impossible. In this blog post, we'll discuss the top three challenges managers face in the workplace and offer advice on how to overcome them.
Ensuring diversity
Diversity, equity, and inclusion are important for any workplace. Not only is a diverse workforce the right thing to strive for, there are also many business positives from including a wide range of voices in your decision making process. As a manager, you have a responsibility to ensure that your team is diverse and inclusive. But it can be difficult to know how to move beyond platitudes and good intentions into useful actions. Statistics show nearly 80% of companies are merely going through the motions when it comes to DE&I initiatives, with few accountability measures in place.Here’s how to overcome the challenges managers face in managing diversity.
- Needs assessment: One way to create effective DE&I initiatives is to start with a needs assessment. This will help you identify the areas in which your workplace requires improvement. Once you know where you need to focus your efforts, you can develop specific goals and objectives.
- Allocate resources: It is also important to create a budget to use in achieving these goals. Alongside this budget, create a plan that includes who will be responsible for each task, what resources you will need, and when you hope to achieve your objectives. Without a clear budget and subsequent plan, it will be difficult to make progress.
- Take action: Don’t stop at generating ideas and brainstorming, hold your team accountable to taking action on DE&I initiatives. This may include things such as developing training programs, revising policies, and increasing communication. Again, it is important to tailor your actions to the specific needs of your workplace. What works for one organization might not work for another.
Promoting wellbeing
The workplace is one of the most important arenas in which we foster our wellbeing. Our careers can have a profound impact on our overall health and happiness, so it’s crucial that we create an environment in which we can thrive. Not just that, but wellbeing in the workplace can significantly contribute to job performance and employee engagement; a recent Gallup study shows teams with high levels of employee engagement boast profitability levels 21% greater than those of their counterparts. One of the major challenges faced by a manager is how to promote wellbeing in the workplace. Here’s what you can do to get started:
- Encourage open communication and collaboration: This means creating an environment in which employees feel comfortable sharing their ideas and concerns. If you do not have an ongoing process for feedback in place, consider ways you might implement this so that employees feel comfortable expressing their ideas for improvement.
- Foster a sense of community in the workplace. This can be done by organizing social events or creating opportunities for employees to bond over shared interests.
- Create career opportunities. Employees should feel like they have a pathway to achieving their professional goals within your company. Not only should the path be obvious, but they should also be surrounded with the support necessary to unlock their potential. This could come in the form of one-on-one, personalized coaching or through other workplace development programs.
Time management
One of the biggest challenges executive-level managers face is time management. With so much to do, it can be difficult to find time for everything. But if you want to be successful, you need to learn how to manage your time wisely.There are many strategies for improving productivity, but one that’s been utilized by the CoachHub team lately is timeboxing. Timeboxing is a time management technique that entails purposefully designating certain daily time periods to items on your to-do list. This is as opposed to creating a list of items to complete, but not purposefully scheduling the exact timeframe when the work will be completed. This approach could help you focus and remain transparent with your team about when your work will be completed and how much work you have the capacity to complete.Here’s how to get started with this time management exercise:
- Encourage an open environment where employees can see your calendar and vice versa.
- Block off time on your calendar with the exact projects you will be working on listed in each time slot.
- Check in with your team to ensure they’re adding specific projects to their calendars in a similar way. Be curious about how well this strategy is working for them and open to ideas for improvement.
Bottom line
So, what can you do when faced with these challenges as a manager? There are a few key things to keep in mind. First, remember that it’s okay to ask for help. Whether you need advice on how to handle a difficult situation or someone to talk to about your own feelings, don’t be afraid to reach out. Second, take some time for yourself. Managers often feel like they need to be constantly available and in control, but this isn’t healthy or sustainable. Make sure you schedule some time each week for yourself – even if it’s just an hour – so you can recharge and come back stronger. Finally, remember to put your ideas into action. Start today, even if you take just a small step. Insights are great, but overcoming these common challenges takes true action steps.
FAQ
At CoachHub, we believe in the power of aligning individual growth with organizational objectives. Our dedicated coaches work closely with coachees to ensure that their growth plans are directly linked to your company's overarching goals. This includes addressing specific leadership development needs within different departments or teams, and recognizing that each area may have unique challenges and requirements.
To achieve this alignment, we collaborate closely with our clients and their senior leaders, taking the time to understand their organization's specific challenges, objectives, and organizational culture well. By gaining deep insights into your company's dynamics, we can tailor coaching plans that address the specific needs of different teams and individuals.
Our approach is highly customized and adaptable. We recognize that each coachee has unique requirements, and we leverage our expertise to develop coaching plans that are relevant and effective for all participants, regardless of their role or level within the organization. Whether it's helping to develop leaders, retain talent, improve leadership skills of middle management, or support C-suite executives, our coaching programs are designed to cater to diverse needs and ensure maximum impact.
By aligning growth plans with your company's objectives, we create a cohesive approach that enhances overall organizational success. Our coaches help coachees identify areas for improvement, set meaningful goals, and develop actionable strategies to bridge the gap between their current competencies and the desired leadership abilities. This alignment not only facilitates personal and professional growth but also contributes to the long-term success of your organization.
With CoachHub, you can be confident that our coaching programs are tailored to address the specific leadership development efforts within your organization. By collaborating closely with our clients, we ensure that our coaching plans are relevant, effective, and aligned with your company's objectives, driving growth and excellence across all departments and levels.
At CoachHub, we understand the importance of scalability when it comes to your leadership development program. That's why our programs are thoughtfully designed to accommodate a large number of participants simultaneously, ensuring that organizations of all sizes can benefit from our services. Whether you have a small team or a global workforce, our coaching platform is equipped to handle the scale.
With our advanced digital coaching platform, we bring high-quality coaching directly to employees all over the world. The beauty of our online sessions is that participants can access them from anywhere, at any time. This flexibility empowers employees to engage in coaching without geographical constraints or time zone limitations. Whether they're working from home, traveling for business, or stationed in a different country, our platform ensures that they can easily connect with their coach and participate in sessions at their convenience.
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By leveraging the power of technology, our scalable coaching programs break down barriers and provide accessible coaching solutions to organizations and individuals around the globe. Whether it's a small team or a multinational corporation, our platform ensures that every participant can benefit from high-quality coaching, anytime and anywhere.
Absolutely! CoachHub's leadership development program is designed to seamlessly integrate with your existing talent development and performance management initiatives. We understand that every company has its own unique needs and goals, and that's why our coaching sessions are completely tailored to meet those requirements. Whether you're looking to strengthen leadership skills, foster personal growth, or achieve organizational success, our program aligns perfectly with your company's specific objectives.
By customizing our coaching sessions, we ensure that each individual receives the guidance and support they need to thrive. We take the time to understand their strengths, challenges, and aspirations, and then craft a coaching experience that caters to their personal growth journey. This way, we can provide targeted development opportunities that directly contribute to their success within your organization.
When you integrate our program with your leadership development efforts and performance management initiatives, you create a powerful synergy. Our tailored approach complements and reinforces your existing efforts, allowing you to build a comprehensive framework for maximizing the potential of your workforce. Together, we can create an environment where employees are motivated, empowered, and equipped with the skills they need to excel.
So, rest assured that with CoachHub's leadership development program, you can easily integrate coaching into your existing initiatives and achieve remarkable results that align with your company's requirements.