According to a Gallup study on 7,272 U.S. adults, one in two have left their job to get away from their manager to improve their overall life at some point in their career.
When you consider the fact that 50% of people who have quit their jobs say it was because of a bad boss, it’s clear that organizations need to ensure that their managers are meeting the criteria of effective leadership.
But just what are the key roles that managers play in today’s business landscape? Has it evolved? Are managers now expected to go above and beyond?
The modern business environment has changed somewhat over the years. It is now more collaborative and transparent. For managers who are stuck in their ways and are only focusing on the bottom line and not enough on the people who help make that happen, here are today’s manager’s critical roles:
Managers Must Be Smart Delegators
Delegation is a core concept of management leadership. Employees need to feel valued and feel that the work they perform is meaningful. When managers delegate to other team members, they are encouraging them to develop their skills and gain experience. And by delegating tasks, the manager can focus on their value-added work.
Managers Should Be Advocates
Managers must be the model employee advocate. For others in the organization to take pride in their company, leadership must express it through their words and actions. Employees want to trust their organizations. And they will need a manager to instill pride in them by working in a manner that is aligned with brand’s mission and vision.
Managers Must Be Effective Coaches
Managers develop themselves as leaders by enhancing their coaching skills. Coaching not only helps develop the skills of the employee but it increases morale which positively affects performance. Employees who are regularly coached are more engaged and find meaning in their work.
Managers Should Be Competent Communicators
Employees who have left jobs due to bad bosses have often said that they felt misunderstood and ignored. Managers need to be approachable and accessible which they can establish by being visible. When employees approach them, they should be able to communicate competently. Communication doesn’t just mean being good at expressing their thoughts and ideas, but it also means being active listeners. Communication also includes providing right-sized information about the company’s strategy and goals as they impact on your team members. The corporate information is too general to be helpful.
Managers Must Be Relationship Builders
Today’s organizations are collaborative. They value the well-being of their people, and they promote a culture that is engaging and authentic. Managers need to lead the way in cultivating meaningful relationships between people across all departments and levels. To build stronger relationships, managers must gain employee trust by showing integrity, and consistency. They also need to be prepared to resolve conflict to maintain harmony and strengthen camaraderie.
Successful managerial leadership is not difficult to attain for the manager who has natural leadership skills. However, a quality that employees also appreciate in their managers is transparency and humility. Managers can gain employee trust and support when they can admit that they need to work on their management skills and be humble enough to take the necessary actions to improve and refine their leadership style.
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