Background:
In October 2015 I was promoted from Director of International Programs to Assistant Country Manager of Maximo Nivel in Cusco, Peru. This was quite a step up for me… it meant going from managing a team of 7 people on my International Team to being responsible for the 50+ people who work for Maximo Nivel and all of its clients in all of Peru… Nice!
I was up for the challenge and keen to learn as much as I could as fast as possible. To this end, my challenge partner in crime and I agreed that I would undertake a 3-month challenge where I would focus all of my efforts on learning how to be a better manager/leader for my team.
The challenge officially ended 01-Apr-2016, and clearly I am only getting around to writing this blog post now… so… while most of what I write about now will reflect the steps I took from January-March, I actually have almost 2 extra months of time to reflect on this 3-month challenge. : )
Readings:
I like to read, so one of the first things I did was hit the bookstore and see what books might be available. Over the 3 months I read the following two books:
- The Personal MBA by Josh Kaufman – I found it to be a nice overview of business terminology and practices, along with some nice chapters on how to manage people and yourself.
- HBR Guide To Getting the Right Work Done which are articles from the Harvard Business Review – I found this to be the most useful and am still using some of what I learned in my daily management style.
I also listened to the audiobook of:
- Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki and Sharon Letcher – while a bit repetitive, I found this to be the most inspirational when it comes to rethinking money and creating wealth.
Online Course:
The Academic Director at Maximo Nivel, Kofi Martin, introduced me to some websites where you can do online courses for free! I explored a few of these options before trying my hand at a free course called “Negotiation and Conflict Resolution” on the website www.open2study.com. The course lasted 4 weeks and has definitely helped me considerably in my management of my team and in getting the best deals possible for the organization where I work. I of course followed this up with additional readings and YouTube videos, but it all started with this free course.
YouTube Videos:
Reading is one thing, but there is also a wealth of information and learning materials to be found online. I believe that with Professor YouTube and the internet in general that it is possible to grow professionally without ever needing to go back to school. I watched numerous videos about leadership, management, negotiation, talks from business and world leaders, etc… but my favorites were by a guy named Simon Sinek. Check out the following video and explore all of the other information he has on YouTube:
Mentors:
For as much as I learned with the books, courses and videos, I learned the most about management and leadership through my work with Ken Jones and Tom Kearin, two of the three owners of Maximo Nivel. Their coaching and guidance has been invaluable in my growing as a manager and leader. Time, more experience, hard work, overcoming challenges, learning from my errors and just getting in there and doing it have all resulted in me feeling like a more confident manager and leader. There is still much to be learned, and I am eager to continue growing as this challenge continues…
Successful?
Yes… while it is difficult to quantify how much I have learned, I feel that I have learned much since I became the Assistant Country Manager of Maximo Nivel. If you would have asked me in college what I would be doing 10 years after graduating I would have told you… Super Rockstar! I never envisioned myself in this position but am happy to have been given this opportunity to grow, learn and make impact on a daily basis.
I am also happy to say that as of yesterday I am now the Country Manager of Maximo Nivel… new challenge ACCEPTED!!!