When you’re in tune with your team, there’s no stretch assignment that should cause them to snap. That’s the message Laura Eckles, director of event and customer marketing at cybersecurity company Brinqa, has for her fellow tech leaders.
Eckles routinely gives out stretch assignments and feels confident doing so because she keeps her finger on the pulse of her team’s professional development goals and working styles. Dovetailing stretch assignments with a team’s growth goals and skill sets makes success more likely, but more importantly to Eckles, this approach shows her people what they’re capable of.
“By showing your team that you have their growth in mind, you increase their feeling of support,” Eckles said. “This allows them to take more ownership of initiatives and realize that they can take on more challenging assignments.”
Continue reading to learn more about Eckles’ people-centered approach to stretch assignments.
GitHub, Nestle and SAP are just a few of the companies that use Brinqa’s software to visualize their cybersecurity vulnerabilities and automate remediation.
Tell us about a time you extended a stretch assignment to a direct report. What was the assignment, and how did you know the person was ready to take it on?
I provide teams with stretch assignments for every event we produce. It is important to set smart and realistic goals while also challenging teams to go beyond expectations during each step of the event production process. This could be a registration goal or an on-site lead generation goal that we work as a team to meet and exceed.
Stretch assignments are a great opportunity for team members who express interest in diversifying their skills or choose to be strategic and innovative in their everyday role. Pay attention to the work your team is sharing and you may find more opportunities for stretch assignments than you realized.
Stretch assignments are a great opportunity for team members to diversify their skills.”
How do you ensure that team members are not overburdened by stretch assignments and are supported throughout its completion?
Stretch assignments are not always specific to an individual. While someone’s role may be integral to the overall project, stretch assignments are achieved when everyone works together, including managers and direct reports. To ensure that an individual isn’t overburdened by a stretch assignment, it is important to show that you are there to support the team in reaching their goals. That could take the form of having open lines of communication, working together to find a solution to a challenge and celebrating the wins along the way.
How have stretch assignments paid dividends for your team?
Stretch assignments can show value in increased lead generation and more quality opportunities. However, the greater value is showing your team what they are capable of and boosting confidence for when a similar opportunity presents itself again. In this way, a previous stretch assignment can become your baseline goal the next time.
