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Solving The Player-Coach Conundrum
How To Manage Effectively When You're Still An Individual Contributor
Dave Kline
June 20, 2024
Read Time: 2 minutes.
It happens in sales.
It happens in marketing.
It happens in engineering.
Leaders who are experts in their craft are often called to become managers.
But their call comes with a catch:
Please keep your day job. And help others do theirs, too.
You're still expected to grow the same sales territory you had before, and now you need to grow and develop your team.
You're still expected to produce scroll-stopping creative campaigns, and you need to master all the marketing numbers.
You're still expected to produce the same quantity and quality of code, and you need to prioritize and evaluate other's work as well.
Unfortunately, most people solve this problem one of two ways:
They work more
They manage less
They now have a job with two halves that don't add up to a whole.
But what if there was a third way?
Here's how I've seen the best player coaches make 1+1=3.
New Manager Math
60% of new managers fail.
15% of new managers are trained.
The math adds up. But not in a good way.
Why not increase your odds and ask your company to sponsor your seat in our MGMT Fundamentals weekend sprint on June 29 & 30?
80% of the leaders who join us get fully reimbursed.
We’ll build the 6 foundational skills that help new managers thrive in two half-day sessions over one weekend. And you’ll work side-by-side with dozens of other new leaders from OpenAI, Google, Meta, and more.
Reminder: MGMT Playbook readers get 25% off.
If you can answer these 8 simple questions, you’ll find a way to succeed as a player-coach.
Ruthlessly Edit
You can't add without deleting. You can't climb higher without adjusting what's in your pack. Make space by stripping waste out of your old job.
Key Question: What meetings or activities take a disproportionate amount of time but do little to move the needle?
Promote Self-Guided Tours
Nobody ever said, "When I grow up, I dream of being managed." And if they can manage themselves, you won't have to.
Key Question: How can you take any effort you'd expend controlling your team and focus on enabling them to operate autonomously?
Informal Promotions
Your job is to ensure outcomes, not create them. The team needs guidance and accountability, which can come from someone else.
Key Question: Who can you nominate to lead specific functions, projects, or meetings?
High ROI Management
The 80/20 of good management:
Clear expectations
Consistent feedback
Opportunities to grow
Key Question: What is the most efficient meeting cadence I can create to achieve the 80/20?
Or if you wanted to spend one hour each day…
Adjust Incentives
Charlie Munger's famous quote says it all, "Show me the incentives, and I'll show you the outcomes."
Key Question: Is there a sufficient reward for trading off my craft in exchange for focusing on the outcomes produced by my team?
Judge Your Output Honestly
If you agreed to accept the responsibility, you agreed to deliver excellent outcomes while also managing well.
Key Question: Are you setting an example for your team by holding yourself accountable to the highest standard?
Pre-Negotiate Your Promotion
The player-coach model breaks at some scale. Agree on these criteria upfront so that you don't rationalize burning yourself out.
Key Question: How many direct reports and/or projects would require me to shift my attention exclusively to management?
Your Superpower = Their Kryptonite
You’re doing the job, but they’re not you. To step into the coaching side of your role, you need to see multiple possibilities for how it can be done.
Key Question: Are there strengths that I rely on to do the role that results in me holding an unrealistic standard for my team?
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