Effective managers: A critical link to great culture

BY MIKE MEAGHER

Managers get a bad rap. Is it deserved? They are the most-often cited reason great people leave their organizations. Managers are the biggest driver or suppressor of employee productivity and happiness. Most managers get only a fraction of the talent, loyalty and spirit of their team members. However, effective managers find a way to get the most from and for their employees. These managers are the backbone of strong cultures.

We can all agree that people and culture drive bottom-line performance. Strong cultures, like those highlighted in this issue of Prairie Business, depend on great managers. Managers abound, but effective ones — those who bring the best out in their people — are elusive. When strong managers are in place, they make their team’s culture and work experience meaningful.

They receive greater productivity, loyalty and respect from their employees in return. Effective managers use the following skills:

Lead with Vision and Strategy

An effective manager has a vision for what he/she wants the team to achieve. Great managers help employees embrace an optimistic vision that is clear, concise, aligned, and achievable. Employees want to achieve ambitious goals and achieve a compelling vision. That starts with making a game plan.

Great managers understand the importance of strategy and planning. By involving their team in the planning process, managers increase understanding and commitment to the strategy. This shared focus and accountability positions the team for success.

Communicate and Listen

Effective managers set themselves apart with excellent communication skills. They ensure the entire team knows what it means and what it takes to win. They keep employees abreast of all team and organizational priorities.

Active listening and feedback show teammates genuine care. The steady, two-way flow of feedback fosters innovative environments. People feel safer and perform better when they know where they stand. When honest feedback is the norm, people offer their creative ideas. Teams then rally around solving problems.

Tap Into Human Motivation

Effective managers know how to motivate their team. They understand employees need to experience significance and appreciation. Purpose and meaning are powerful drivers of behavior for employees. Skilled managers reinforce the reason each role is important and the impact it creates.

Skillful managers also find out the personal driving forces of each team member. They make small tweaks to roles to ensure they are as rewarding as possible. They show personal and sincere interest each person’s wellbeing and happiness.

Hire Right

Even the best managers see engagement and performance erode when they mis-hire. Selecting and developing the right people should be every manager’s first key accountability area. We have seen success using these four steps:

1. Benchmark and define the position. Clarify the purpose, goals, responsibilities, competencies, major challenges, driving forces, ideal personality and qualifications.

2. Build authentic relationships with candidates.

3. Use science and thorough evaluation. Make sure anyone hired has the right talent to do the job well.

4. Once hired, coach them to excellence. Coaching enables managers to optimize teamwork and maximize the individual contributions, which is good for customers and the bottom line. Engaged employees create competitive advantages that are hard to copy.

Managers have a more difficult job today than ever. They have shifting mandates from the C-suite and are expected to increase engagement and productivity. Acquiring and keeping great people in a changing talent landscape is crucial to sustained success. Effective managers realize that a vibrant culture helps them achieve goals and that their behavior sets the tone for better or worse. Strong managers are critical to success. After all, employees leave managers, not their organizations. PB

Mike Meagher Founder, Sagency mike@sagencytalent.com