One of the most important indicators of success in the workplace is a positive relationship between staff and management. There are many methods available for managers to influence employee performance; behaviour modelling, constructive feedback and performance review phrases among others. Yet there will be little impact unless manager engagement is part of the mix. It’s an under-appreciated key to success.
Managers really have two options available to them: they can engage in command and control strategies, or really try to understand an employee’s motivations. Those who attempt the former leadership model typically inspire lower loyalty and productivity. Managers who offer their staff a degree of autonomy, who try to get to know the people they work with, find them to be more involved in the company and that leads directly to greater ownership and output. It’s a win win.
However, achieving that is easier read than done. In practice, how do you facilitate manager engagement? Here are a few ideas that can make all the difference.
Say Hello
In the end, it starts at the beginning. Make sure your managers really get to know your staff, especially those who have just joined the organisation. We all appreciate the personal touch and the more an employee feels appreciated, the more they’ll participate. Make yourself accessible. This is Engagement 101.
Value Feedback
Recognising success and failure is incredibly powerful. Employees know when management has got it wrong, yet hearing them own that mistake sends a strong, unequivocal message. Clear and persuasive assessments, good or bad, are incredibly important during any feedback process. It’s essential that managers and staff alike criticise the problem, not the person.
Trust Building
Engaged managers can use operational and strategic planning sessions to foster trust and ownership. When you bring all of the organisation’s experience to the table, both management and team members benefit from knowledge sharing and the sense of ownership this kind of activity promotes.
Education and Training
Often employers are not interested in further education, and everyone loses. Any kind of training shows your commitment to helping staff do their job better and reach their own goals. This is manager engagement at its best. Personal development plans are a direct boost to your company, and help employees understand when their ambitions are aligned with the business.
Continuous Development
Just like your frontline staff, the management team needs to feel they each have a position that is stimulating, rewarding and continuously developing. Positive change reinforces manager engagement which is needed to motivate teams.
When managers are fully engaged in their work they’re much more likely to inspire connection to the big picture right across the business. In short, manager engagement is the key to success. They create a positive workplace culture, one where everybody is enthusiastic, happy, productive. Get that right, and everything falls into place.
