Is your organization suffering low morale, low employee engagement, and high turnover? If so, the first place to start looking is your managers.
In a study led by Gallup, they found that 50% of the 7,272 adults they interviewed left their job “to get away from their manager to improve their overall life at some point in their career.”
These reports don’t come as too much of a shock. After all, haven’t we all heard this before: “People leave managers, not companies”. However true this is, it doesn’t mean that organizations should just shrug it off as a typical occurrence. What organizations should be doing is taking the necessary steps to ensure that good employees want to stay, and then gaining employee loyalty by training their managers with the skills to be more effective. And remember: managers also have managers. You can also lose your best managers if those who manage them aren’t effective.
It can start with hiring capable managers who are driven by passion who already have the abilities and knowledge to lead and manage a team of diverse individuals. Or you can take your existing managers and empower them with the necessary skills for management success.
I have written extensively about the managerial accountability and authority that managers need to have and to use to be effective. There are also a number of what I would call “softer” skills that managers need to focus on. Here’s what they should have:
Build Responsive Interpersonal Relationships
For managers to be successful, they need to gain insight into the overall well-being of their employees. Employees who are miserable for whatever reason bring that negativity to work and back home. The cycle can be never-ending, and without a manager who has the skill to engage the employee, work performance may start to slip.
A manager who exudes character promotes a culture that is collaborative. When a manager treats colleagues and subordinates with dignity and respect, employees know that they can depend on their support to help them get through challenges that affect their output. When employees feel they are valued, they are more willing to do their job right.
Effective Communication Skills
Managers need to be visible and approachable. More than anything, they need to be competent communicators and be just as good as listening as they are at expressing themselves.
It is human nature for people to want healthy relationships and that includes one between managers and employees. A sense of camaraderie is critical to the success of any team. And only by effective and consistent communication can a manager achieve higher engagement that promotes collaboration and teamwork.
Effective Delegation
Other reasons why employees leave or are unsatisfied is when they feel that they are being undervalued and are not being delegated the appropriate accountability and authority. On the other end of that spectrum are unhappy employees who feel burdened by tasks they argue they’re not equipped with the right skill and resources to do.
For managers to be successful, they need to effectively delegate tasks to the right people. Delegation of work can raise morale as it makes employees feel valuable and it allows them to grow and develop their skills.
Lead by Example by Setting the Pace
Employees need positive role models and someone to pattern their behavior. You can expect individuals to act accordingly when their own manager doesn’t follow process or lacks consistency.
When a manager seeks to constantly improve themselves by seeking opportunities to develop their interpersonal skills or studying best practices, employees are encouraged to behave similarly. When managers promote personal growth within themselves, employees learn the value of continuous growth and development.
Do you agree that the mentioned factors are most critical to the success of managers? Share your thoughts if you think we’ve missed something.
