Gallup states that 70% of disengagement is caused by poor management. One of the most common mistakes we see from managers is that they don’t know what their true role as a manager is. They were often promoted from their previous position because they were good at their job, and now they think their job is to get other people to do what they did. These managers tend to manage processes instead of managing people.
The real role of a good manager is manage people. Of course this doesn’t mean that managers should ignore processes, but they should start with people first. Good people who feel empowered and aligned will fix bad processes often without being told to. Good managers manage people.
What does this mean?
It means that a good manager should get to know their people. They should know what their people need and want. They should be working with the employees to evaluate their strengths and correct any weaknesses or deficiencies. The good manager is engaged in a constant and ongoing conversation with every one of their direct reports about their role in the company and how they be more successful. They give constant feedback on performance giving compliments readily and calling out poor performance with an expectation that it will be addressed and corrected.
The good manager should look at their team and know what they have and what they are missing. They should be thinking about where the team is headed and how they can nurture the talent already inherent in their team. They should be working through team dynamics so that the diverse strengths and perspectives on the team learn to work more effectively together. The manager should judge their own performance by looking at the performance of the team, but they should never take the credit for their team’s success.
If you are a manager, what do you wake up thinking about each day? Are you thinking about processes or people?
AND to equip managers with some of these tools, we are excited to launch the next date of our Management Seminar on March 13, 2020. Learn more about it and sign up with our early bird special!
