Regardless of what level of the organization you’re at, if you are a leader, you impact those around you. From first-time manager to CEO, what you do and how you behave affect your team.
Gallup calls this the “Cascade Effect”, which they define as “employees’ engagement is directly influenced by their managers’ engagement—whose engagement is directly influenced by their managers’ engagement.”
You might be thinking “Duh…” because you already know this. Of course, the behaviour of the manager will influence the team. The question is, are you doing anything about it?
Why you should do something about it
According to Gallup, one in two employees has left a job to get away from their manager. Their study of engagement demonstrates a clear link between poor managing and “checked out” employees. This takes on an even greater concern right now. We’re already hearing of companies that are having a challenging time getting enough people. The pandemic has caused a shift in how people work, and how they want to work, and it’s clear going back to the old ways of doing things is not an option. Companies, and their leaders (and not just the Human Resources departments), are having to consider the hybridization of their workplaces and all that goes along with it.
Employees want flexible work options to continue. While people want to continue working from home, they also want some in-person time with their teams. Companies, and the managers in them, will have to define productivity more broadly to include collaboration, learning, and well-being. Looping this over to managers, this means managers must find ways to connect with their teams as they’ve never done before, encourage communication with and among team members, and help them find ways to advance within the company in order to remain motivated and engaged. These are areas managers have rarely had to concentrate on in the past.
The hybrid work world has allowed for a widening in the talent pool. Companies, and the hiring managers in them, can now look to the world for qualified candidates if they allow remote working. On the flip side, this means that workers are now able to work for any company anywhere. Their job options are now… well, huge! And, as the world is opening up, many, many employees are considering their next move. Microsoft’s Work Trend Index Report from earlier this year has found that 41% of the global workforce is poised to make a move within the next year.
Imagine 4 out of every 10 workers in your company leaving within the next year. What is the impact on your operations and bottom line?
41% of employees are considering leaving their current employer this year and 46% say they’re likely to move because they can now work remotely.
– Microsoft Work Trend Index 2021
Let’s put this all together
A lot of people are thinking of leaving their jobs.
The biggest reason for people to quit their jobs is their manager.
Replacing employees costs a bundle.
Those are three pretty compelling reasons to invest in training your managers.
As we’re aware, the behaviour of the manager directly impacts the engagement of their reports. And the engagement of their reports impacts customer satisfaction, productivity, revenue, and whether they stay in their jobs. It follows, then, that it’s important to help our managers be the best they can be.
Most companies spend few to no resources on preparing their managers for management and leading others. This is a real shame, since only 10% of managers possess the sought-after talent of being able to lead. That means 9 out of 10 managers in your workplace struggle in their jobs, and they could use some support (a.k.a. training).
Good manager training must include the following:
· Connecting with and developing relationships with their employees
· Asserting themselves in order to overcome obstacles
· Creating a culture of accountability
· Motivating and encouraging employees
· Making informed and unbiased decisions for the good of the team, and the company
I have (literally) written the book on manager training. I’ve trained hundreds of people and have coached and supported them in their efforts to become good managers. And I can do the same for your team. Ask me about my Leading with RESPECT program for managers at all organizational levels. And ask me about Learning to Lead, for new managers and manager potentials.
Reach out to me and let’s chat about your company’s needs.
Check out C-Change Learning and Development’s manager training programs.
You’ll find them here: https://www.cchangelearning.com/training-for-managers
Comments