Hovering – the underappreciated leadership strategy.

I dislike the term leadership or management “technique” since it infers something that we do TO others. Instead, I prefer the term strategy since that is an action we do WITH others. This distinction was made evident to me during a recent interaction with my student clients when I was “hovering” around them. This got me thinking out loud that this is actually not a bad leadership and connecting strategy!

Recently, we oriented a new cohort of Executive MBA students who complete their degree by coming to campus every third weekend or so.  Due to my role as their primary leadership and career resource, it is important to me that they know who I am and my commitment to their success. I was sharing with some current students how I used my usual hovering strategy during their orientation week by being a presence during breaks and meals. I see this as what leadership expert and A list speaker John Maxwell calls “walking through the crowd slowly.” My current student clients jokingly call it “creepy!”  At least I hope they are joking!

But this practice and strategy of hovering, allows me to quickly establish a positive working relationship which in turn, helps these talented leaders reach their full potential as they define it. It also allows me to get them on an individual basis. I believe this niched strategy can be applied to leaders in just about any workplace scenario that want to also create positive working relationships. The trick is to hover in a way that doing so is seen as positive and not intrusive. Here are a few ideas to do just that.

Be Proximate but not a Participant:

My student clients attend class either one day a week or every third weekend. Due to the cohort manner in which they progress through a challenging curriculum, they become very close and enjoy seeing each other in light of not being to see each other every day. They also have a lot to catch up on in terms of assignments, upcoming courses, etc. Hovering allows me to be on the periphery in case they have a question, but I am not a fellow student or peer. They have important issues to discuss or questions to settle; thus, it is important that I not interfere or distract them from getting what they need done.

The same is true for leaders. Our team members have a lot to do and we want to show that we trust them to do it well. Even though we would like to be an instant resource or “fixer”, that is not what they need from us and to participate would de-skill them. Management from “walking around” however tells team members we are supportive and available for questions, but we are not and should not be a distraction to their work.

Be Present but not Pervasive:

With my students, it is important to me that I am present and supportive, but I am NOT the main attraction. They are. They are the ones who are sacrificing time, energy, and resources to complete an important degree from a Top 20 business school. Yes, they are times when I am conducting a webinar or on-site workshop but that is a very small part of their experience. The power of their experience lies in the connections they make with each other and the other faculty and staff.

Much like my hovering strategy, being present allows for that quick question, check-in on an ongoing conversation, or that impromptu encouragement. This is what former Campbell Soup CEO Douglas Conant was communicating in his book Touchpoints: Creating Powerful Leadership Connections in the Smallest of Moments. Douglas would share the concept of “impactful interruptions” where impromptu conversations would reveal a lot about how his team was operating or any shared concerns they had. You are not micro-managing or looking over shoulders, but to make sure you are not leaving that impression, you have to do this consistently enough that team members get used to your presence every now and then and know they can take a moment with you or not. It is their choice.

Be Precise but not Platitudinal:

You have often seen my write that leaders who add-value do so in very specific ways. Each week or weekend students are present, I usually have two or three specific follow-ups or congratulations I want to offer. This is to make sure that these specific students know that I have not forgotten about a request or inquiry or that they were on my radar based upon a prior conversation.

The same should be true for good hoverers! Identify two or three team members each week that you can connect with on a specific matter. Loop back to a question or concern they had. Do in-the-moment recognition for a job well done. Celebrate a big life moment such as the birth of a child or their graduation. Again, this takes just a few moments of thought and a running list. What they do not want is just empty platitudes of encouragement but targeted and highly personalized connections.  

As you can gather, the student clients I have the privilege of working with can be a cast of characters but, as has always been the case, I learn more from them than they ever learn from me. So, here is your challenge, try the hover strategy for one month and see what happens. I would bet you will be surprised how much you learn from the people you spend most of your waking life with!

To summarize, I think John Maxwell captures this strategy very well in his recent book, Leadershift. I am paraphrasing John who shares that when doing the Leadership Dance:

• Hover AHEAD of people staying close enough for them to access you and anticipate their needs
• Hover BESIDE people so that you can listen to them and discover the journey they want to take
• Hover BEHIND people so that they know you believe in, with, and, sometimes, for them

Yours in leadership,

Dr. Bill Faulkner

Email = bill@outloudinc.com

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