Some time ago I wrote a post about what you must teach your new recruitment consultants. It was pretty popular; racking up thousands of views over the last few years. 

As many recruitment business leaders know, getting your team performing well in the first few months is pivotal to your success; especially your billing managers.  

A billing manager who can bill, motivate, and manage your consultants to even greater achievements is a ‘must have’ addition to your team. 

Considering this what do you need to ‘teach’ them from day one? 

Here is our take on three key areas of focus when it comes to setting your billing managers on the right path. 

 

1. Teach Them: Seek First To Understand 

 

 

Stephen Covey, the well-respected business leader and author, wrote a classic book, well-thumbed by both Katy and I, called the seven habits of highly effective people. One of the habits, number 5 is in the middle section of the book and is all about something Covey calls, public victory. 

Public victory is ‘where it is at’ today in a changing business landscape full of competition, Millennials and Gen Z employees around the corner.  

Successful leaders are excellent communicators, and they understand people. They have a great handle on the beliefs, motivational drivers and what inspires their team to act and deliver. The good news is that this range of skills come through embracing a self-awareness mindset and then knuckling down to improve your skills. 

Embracing what is necessary to others is the cornerstone of motivational leadership. This critical first step does have to be highlighted to a lot of high performing billers who have stepped up to the role of a billing manager.  

Their competitive streak is all well and good however this needs to be channelled differently, so it results in a team win for all. 

 

2. Teach Them:  How To Balance And Prioritise To Accelerate results 

 

 

One of the most significant challenges new billing managers face is getting it all done; no need to tell you that I am sure! 

Suddenly your new enthusiastic billing manager is in a different role that requires additional skills. 

They have transitioned from a role where they exhibited unconscious competence (think how you jump in the car and start driving without much thought) to a new position where it’s likely you are observing their unconscious incompetence; potentially more regularly than you are used to! Understanding the conscious competence learning model is incredibly useful in this situation. 

This is where you need to share and teach your managers how to balance their time. Demonstrate to them how they can sustain high levels of personal billing AND manage the success of their team, enabling them to adjust priorities that will deliver results – for themselves and the team.  

[Important: Here is a useful PDF and process that has been downloaded thousands of times that will help when it comes to getting more done in less time. Download here.] 

 

3. Teach Them: How To Develop Others 

 

 

Unless your billing manager has personal experience of developing others outside of their work this new aspect of their role can throw up a few curve balls; at least initially.  

I suspect for many billing managers they thought it would be easy! A piece of cake; the team will do as they are told and follow my instructions….. well not exactly as you well know! 

Fact: Great billing managers develop others. 

You know that otherwise, you would not have the business you do.  

Developing consultants into champion performers that are part of a focused team does take work. Luckily it is a skill that anyone can develop; especially when you have highlighted point one and two, we have shared above. 

Learning how to coach champion performance to create top billers – agreeing on goals and targets that raise expectations. How to motivate each to deliver their optimum performance and how to efficiently delegate; these are all MUST have skills to impart. 

 

What Next? 

Act; you will not regret it. Need help? Then get in touch. Every year Katy and I deliver one of our flagship programmes where we have developed hundreds of successful billing managers. Find out more here. Then drop us an email and let’s reserve your billing manager a place. 

Warm regards  

Nicky and Katy 

P.S. If you would like support to create your game plan and find out more about our new Rockit programme get in touch here.