ONE'S IMMEDIATE MANAGER
Most managers focus all their time on doing what's urgent and have no time left to focus on what's important—namely, their people.
Gallup found in their extensive research that the most important variable that most accounted for an employee's level of engagement was an individual's immediate manager and all aspects that make up that relationship between a manager and his or her employees. This included all the things a manager did—and did not do—in the course of managing the employee. Anyone needs only to reflect on the best managers they've had in their career to quickly identify the actions and behaviors that are essential for any employee to feel supported and engaged. Do they take time to get to know employees, allow them to ask questions, ask for their input, listen to their concerns, and thank them for their contributions? If so, employees are much more likely to feel trusted and respected and valued in working for that manager—and the organization.
Taking time to personally get to know employees is essential to build strong relationships. For example, you could take a new employee out for coffee or lunch on their first day of work and ask them some questions, such as:
- “Of all the places you could have worked, what most attracted you to work for this company? What do you hope to learn in this job?”
- “What type of work do you like doing best? Do you prefer individual assignments or working with others as part of a team?”
- “If a special assignment were to arise, would that be of interest to you?”
- “Where do you hope to be in five years?”
- “When you're not at work, what are your favorite hobbies or pastimes?”
- “Tell me about your family. Do you have any children? Do you have any pets? What are their names?”
- “What's your favorite food? Your favorite sport?”
And so forth. The more you know about someone, the more fodder you have to motivate that person—not to manipulate them, but to help them on their journey to be successful. Once they see through your behaviors that they are important to you, their willingness to go above and beyond to do their best on a daily basis will become real as well.
Typically, the person who is currently doing a job is in the best position to know how to do it better, so it makes sense for managers to start with those individuals as to how they can better do their jobs, supporting them as you are able. For example, if a reporting process is ineffective or costly, seek to change it or talk to the individual responsible for managing that process.
When a receptionist at Champion Solutions Group in Florida was challenged to make improvements in her work responsibilities, she suggested the expense reports she received from field sales representatives via overnight delivery reports could be sent online instead of sent overnight. The company saw a 40 percent reduction in its shipping costs. This led to company leaders seeking the advice of employees for more ways to realize cost savings.
Involving employees in decisions, especially as those decisions affect their work, is another critical manager behavior. When employees believe they have a hand in decision-making, company-wide buy-in and participation is much easier to obtain. Yet only 41 percent of surveyed employees believe the company listens to employees' ideas. Asking employees for their input shows that you respect and trust them, and will likely increase the quality of the decisions being made, even if the ultimate responsibility for decisions remains with the manager.
Support for change can't be gained without involving employees, so you need to ensure that you give employees the opportunity to be involved in decisions. Some simple ways to involve employees include:
- Asking them for their opinions on various matters of importance to the department.
- Inviting them to actively participate in setting objectives and revising goals for the department.
- Establishing task forces comprising employees whose objective is to identify better ways to work.
Being flexible when dealing with employees is a hallmark of a good manager. By not being a slave to policies and instead allowing deviations as circumstances require, you will create goodwill in your relationships that you can trade on for a long time to come.
A final area of consideration for managers who want to demonstrate to their employees that they matter is how they handle mistakes. In my research, 94 percent of employees want their manager to support them when they make a mistake. This seems obvious, yet how often do we do just the opposite and find fault, publicly embarrass, and in general diminish the person who made the mistake, and in the process prove that you're the smarter of the two of you? And what does that gain you?
Bill Gates, former chairman of Microsoft, put it this way: “You can tell a lot about the long-term viability of any organization simply by looking at how they handle mistakes.” How much better to take the high road and say something like “I don't think I would have done it the same way, but what did you learn from your experience? That could be the best training you'll have all year!”
Following are additional examples of how managers can make a difference in engaging their employees through their direct behaviors.
A positive example is the best way to create the right atmosphere. There are so many things you can do to give people the security to take responsibility. Over time, you do it by measuring and rewarding performance.
—JAN CARLZON, CEO, SAS
Tim Rogers, senior department manager for Discover Financial Services, actively promotes the idea of having a best friend at work by encouraging managers to get to know their employees. Managers attend training in two things: management skills 101 and getting to know employees individually. “Establishing a relationship with your employees comes before anything else,” Rogers says.
“I cannot overstate the importance of the relationship between an employee and his or her immediate supervisor,” says Robert W. Johnston Jr., clinical quality management analyst with Gateway Health in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
There is a popular saying: “People don't quit companies. People quit bosses.” While it is important to recognize that employees leave organizations for a variety of reasons, my experience has shown the previous statement to be undeniably true. Many managers fail to recognize that their job is not to simply ensure the completion of tasks and assignments but also to teach, coach, and nurture their subordinates. Doing so can translate into a department with better morale, greater efficiency, and more quality results. The workplace is becoming an environment where employees are in need of feeling a greater sense of purpose, fulfillment, and accomplishment. The relationship with one's immediate supervisor can make or break an employee's success in the workplace and developing those relationships benefits not only the employee, but the manager, department, and entire organization.
The Pensacola News Journal asked its readers to submit nominations and examples of best boss behavior. Quint Studer, founder of the Studer Community Institute, entrepreneur in residence at University of West Florida, and journalist, writes about specific examples:
- Lindsey Cannon of Children's Home Society, who won the Best Boss Contest, takes time to get to know her employees' goals, holds them accountable for those goals, and mentors their professional development.
- Homer and Linda Biggers of Another Broken Egg on Gregory Street do many things for staff on a personal level—from baby showers to helping get cars repaired to giving people a second chance.
- Dave Luttrell of DAG Architects communicates difficult messages effectively, whether it be a new office initiative or constructive feedback. Most leaders can communicate what people want to hear, but it takes special talent to communicate what they need to hear.
- Michelle Boehm of Baskerville-Donovan and her employees discuss the situation when a mistake happens. In a kind and encouraging manner, she ensures employees understand what happened and how. Then they agree on what needs to happen to prevent the same mistake from occurring again.
Handle every transaction with every person as if you will have to live with that person in a very small room for the rest of your lives.
—MICHAEL MESCON, PRESIDENT, THE MESCON GROUP
The Boeing Leadership Center in St. Louis, Missouri, pairs current leadership with future leaders to learn the interpersonal skills they'll need to help employees reach their full potential.
Doris Lee, HR generalist for Self Regional Healthcare in Greenwood, South Carolina, shares an example about an immediate supervisor of their small team:
A team member's father passed away. The services were about an hour away, and my manager asked the majority of the team to take the hour-long drive to the team member's family home to offer condolences and deliver baked goods because they would not be able to make the services. This was truly going over and beyond to let the grieving team member know that the rest of the team cared about what she was going through.
Chuck Colmenero, the area manager at Better Business involves everyone in the branch in the annual strategic planning process so they all have a stake in the success. “Chuck has a saying,” reports Roshelle Pavlin, strategic human resources consultant, ‘Hire thoroughbreds and let them run!’ As such, he always appreciates the skills of the professionals on his team and allows us to succeed on our own terms. He never micromanages; instead, he constantly links us to the larger picture.”
Cara Silletto, president and chief retention officer for Crescendo Strategies located in Jeffersonville, Indiana, reports, “When my staff randomly mentions they love certain food, coffee shops, movies, or other things, I write those down on a secret list. When I'd like to recognize them for great work, I send them a small but meaningful token of my appreciation.”
Michael Bungay Stanier, founder of Box of Crayons, says:
I recommend managers and supervisors use “the coaching bookends” from my book, The Coaching Habit. Start conversations by asking, “What's on your mind?” It's a better question than either “How can I help you?” (they might not need help) or “What do you need?” (they may not need anything). It's a really effective way to get quickly into the meat of the conversation: It's broader, yet also answerer-centric. Finish by asking, “What was most useful or valuable here for you?” It's a way of extracting the learning and the insight from that conversation. In our firm we've adopted “the coaching habit” for everyone, with a commitment in all our conversations to stay curious a little longer and rush to action and advice-giving a little more slowly.
When Brian Dunn, current president and CEO of consumer electronics retailer Best Buy, completed his “rocky” first day as a Best Buy salesperson, he had a very helpful and encouraging discussion with his manager. Says Dunn, “He said, ‘How did it go?’ I told him it was a lousy experience.” The manager proceeded to talk about the Minnesota Twins, the Minnesota Vikings, and fishing. He made it personal right away, and told Dunn to come in Saturday and he would teach him how he operated on the sales floor. “It really made a difference. What stuck with me was that the store manager was talking to me about what I was capable of doing here, and was willing to give of himself to help.”
When managers provide performance feedback to their employees (which generally occurs on a monthly or quarterly basis), they are expected to focus on the individual and make the conversation enjoyable, perhaps even fun, instead of something to be dreaded. According to human resources director Darien Holznagel, “We focus on the individual and make it more of a fun conversation—what the individual can contribute to the organization versus what's expected. That's how we turn the corner of making it a more enjoyable process.” In a recent three-year period, this approach to working with Best Buy's workforce has helped to measurably decrease employee turnover—saving the company money on training while bringing more experienced and engaged employees into customer interactions.
The first responsibility of a leader is to define reality. The last is to say thank you. In between, the leader is a servant.
—MAX DE PREE, LEADERSHIP IS AN ART
Here is a simple but powerful rule: Always give people more than they expect to get.
—NELSON BOSWELL
At baby bedding and accessory manufacturer CoCaLo, managers play a key role in monthly company meetings. According to founder, president, and CEO Renee Pepys Lowe, “Each leader talks about what's going on in their business. That helps keep everyone connected. What sparks interest is hearing the product stories. What retailer is interested in that product? What are the success stories? What are the stories about a mom who just sent a letter about the nursery?” As a reflection of this strategy, the company was able to maintain an average growth rate of 23 percent in a recent three-year period.
Suzie Price, managing principal at Priceless Professional Development of Marietta, Georgia, believes that managers can improve employee engagement in their organizations by cultivating four competitive leadership life skills:
- Cultivate and share a positive belief in others.
- Address problems quickly by focusing on behaviors and objective data; be specific and factual when talking with others about their performance.
- Lead by inviting input and participation.
- Listen aggressively.
Says Price about the interactions of bosses with their employees, “Value their input and provide for development and growth. Basically, it comes down to building trust.”
Home improvement retailer B&Q instituted a policy requiring managers to ask employees if they had any issues they wanted addressed at morning staff meetings. Any issue raised by an employee is addressed during the course of the meeting, and managers are directed to report back to their staff the status of their issue and how it is being resolved.
Gary Olson—president and CEO of St. Luke's Hospital in Chesterfield, Missouri, which has been named one of America's 50 Best Hospitals three years in a row—believes that managers can create a workplace where employees enjoy coming to work each day by following this prescription:
- Define your ideal workplace.
- Start with communication
- Maintain corporate culture.
- Solicit feedback.
At East Boston Savings Bank, managers have adopted a “no-fault” approach to encouraging employees to report problems. Managers are encouraged to ask “probing, open-ended questions” to “get to the bottom” of employee problems, and then to thank them for raising the issue.
Managers at Henry Ford Health System in Detroit, Michigan, ensure that all employees have their email addresses and that they don't have to jump through lots of hoops to contact them with problems or opportunities. Says president and CEO Nancy Schlichting, “People appreciate and respect that privilege—I don't feel like I'm inundated with questions or issues that are not appropriate for me to deal with. Rather, it gives people an outlet if they have a concern or idea, they know they can get to me.”
In a report on the impact of managers on employee engagement, research firm Melcrum Publishing found that the top ten ways for managers to build engagement among their employees are:
- Creating a climate of open communication.
- Helping employees understand their role in the organization's success.
- Building trust.
- Involving employees in decision-making.
- Empowering employees to solve problems themselves.
- Following through on promises and commitments.
- Role modeling commitment to the company's goals.
- Assisting employees in setting and reaching professional development goals.
- Proactively soliciting feedback.
- Recognizing exemplary behavior.
Managers at Union Bank in Los Angeles, California, are encouraged to coach their employees to become their own problem-solvers. This requires that managers have a clear picture of employees' goals and current reality. By asking questions such as “What is your goal?” and “Where are you currently in reaching your goal?” managers can better help their employees identify gaps and obstacles that prevent them from moving forward.
American Express, the New York financial services company, requires every company executive at the vice president level and above to attend a training program called Leadership Inspiring Employee Engagement. The program is designed specifically to help focus senior leaders on the skills needed to inspire employees to do their best work. In the year following implementation of the program, a survey of employees showed an increase in leader effectiveness of 3 percentage points.
The head of talent at UK-based Dyson was tasked with implementing a “martini culture,” interpreted as “working any time, any place, anywhere.” She developed a vision of an organization where employees were free to work where and when they were most productive. The primary challenge for the senior team was to agree to manage people as though they trusted them.
Employees appreciate supervisors who are empathetic to their needs. Here are five tips for establishing empathy with employees as stated in Entrepreneur magazine:
- Use body language to show that you are listening.
- Show interest with your facial expressions.
- Affirm your understanding verbally.
- Ask for clarification.
- Use “we” and “us” rather than “I” and “you” whenever possible.
During a three-month trial, which gave people limited flexibility around core hours, their managers' role was to coach, enable, and support them to achieve their goals. The trial was a success, and all restrictions around where and when employees could work were lifted, and the dress code was removed. In the following year, voluntary turnover was reduced from 17 percent to 6 percent, and stress levels dropped significantly as people felt in control of their work-life balance.
Burcham Hills Retirement Community decreased employee turnover by 72 percent when they implemented annual “stay” interviews with all veteran employees. The idea is to ask your team members about their current levels of engagement and how they feel about the issues of communication, growth, recognition, and trust. This initial conversation is more about understanding their current perceptions about how things are going. You don't have to get into solving the problems, which can be done later.
You can have everything in life you want if you will just help enough other people get what they want.
—ZIG ZIGLAR
A worker at REI explains why the company consistently makes lists of great places to work: “REI is a wonderful place to work. Managers pitch in and work right alongside us when it's busy. I am convinced this helps to encourage mutual respect and understanding and a sense that we're in this together.”
Global science company 3M holds its leaders accountable for employee engagement by embedding engagement directly within their leadership competencies. The competency is called “develops, teaches, and engages others,” and it is the foundation of annual management assessments. Managers get engagement scores from the company opinion survey.
Carolyn LaHousse, cofounder, president, and CEO of medical cost-containment and disability management company Review-Works, encourages employees to try new things, take risks, and make occasional mistakes without being punished. Says LaHousse, “Every employee is going to make a mistake—all the time. You just have to be ready for mistakes. Every time we make a mistake, there is an opportunity to do a better job.” As LaHousse points out, by supporting an employee who makes a mistake, managers build the trust that is vital to building an engaged workforce.
THE NEW FUNCTIONS OF MANAGEMENT
In The Management Bible my coauthor, Peter Economy, and I suggest the four traditional roles of managing, planning, organizing, leading, and controlling have now been replaced. The new functions of management that best tap into the potential of all employees are:
- Energize: Today's managers are masters of making things happen. The best managers create far more energy than they consume. Successful manager create compelling visions—visions that inspire employees to bring out their very best performance—and they encourage their employees to act on those visions.
- Empower: Empowering employees doesn't mean that you stop managing. Empowering employees means giving them the tools and the authority to do great work. Effective management is the leveraging of the efforts of your team to a common purpose. When you let your employees do their jobs, you unleash their creativity and commitment.
- Support: Today's managers need to be coaches, counselors, and colleagues instead of watchdogs or policemen. They key to developing a supportive environment is the establishment of a climate of open communication throughout the organization. Employees must be able to express their concerns—truthfully and completely—without fear of retribution. Similarly, employees must be able to make honest mistakes and be encouraged to learn from those mistakes.
- Communicate: Communication is the lifeblood of every organization. Information is power, and as the seed of business continues to accelerate, information—the right information—must be communicated to employees faster than ever before. Constant change and increasing turbulence in the business environment necessitate more communication, not less—information that helps employees better do their jobs, information on changes that can impact their jobs, and information on opportunities and needs within the organization.
Master these new functions of management, and you'll find that your employees will respond with increased engagement in their work, improved morale and loyalty, and enhanced productivity. The result is better products and services, happier customers, and a more favorable bottom line.