You just got promoted. Congratulations. You’re now leading managers, the people who lead the people. That means your job has changed in a fundamental way. You’re no longer the person who does the work or even directly manages those who do it. You’re the person who creates enough clarity that others can lead effectively without you. The First Shock: Progress Feels Slower When you managed individuals, you could move fast, jump into the details, fix issues, and see progress that same afternoon. Now? Everything feels slower. Not because your team is weaker, but because your intent has to travel through two layers of interpretation. Every gap in clarity multiplies as it moves down the org chart. Your new challenge isn’t doing more; it’s being understood faster. Your Real Work Is the Communication Loop Clarity doesn’t end when you hit “Send” or finish a meeting. You have to close the loop.; That means: Checking that your message landed the way you intended Listening for how it’s bei...

As you climb to higher management levels and begin leading other managers, keeping in touch with your team's pulse can become difficult. Understanding what is happening at the lowest levels can help you wrap context around what your team brings you. You may also need to build stronger support for your goals and direction.  Introducing skip-level one-on-ones can be an effective way to increase your engagement and understanding with your whole team. The most important thing you can do with your time is communicate with your team! How to start If you are serious about strengthening your connection with your team through skip-level one-on-ones, you should start with a plan. It is critical to be clear about what you want to achieve with these conversations, or you may cause stress or conflict within your team. Clarify Your Goals Start by setting aside some dedicated time to consider what you want to achieve with these one-on-ones. Here are some questions to answer to help y...