8 Research-Backed Strategies Every Manager Should Discover

"People leave their managers, not organizations."

Managers have tremendous potential to impact our workplaces for the better. They have the potential to motivate and inspire, to provide guidance and offer understanding. However, with all of the change occurring in workplaces, serving as a manager continues to present as a uniquely challenging (and often thankless) role.

Often mired between the concepts of "leading" vs. "directing" — I feel the role has been greatly misunderstood.

To be completely frank, managers have shouldered the blame for a host of organizational woes, including lowered employee engagement, job satisfaction and of course, turnover.

As much as we harp about managers, helping them help us, is the best path to explore. We seem to have ample modes of measuring our criticism; yet not nearly enough constructive, usable advice. There are fantastic managers out there — and we can develop more of them. We simply need to pause and look back at what we have learned.

Have we nothing to offer managers to help them meet their challenges?

The answer is "yes", we do.

Here are a few researched backed suggestions that managers can apply:

• As a manager continue to engage with the work. As a manager, you may no longer complete all of the tasks that your team completes. However, continuing to express keen interest in all aspects of the work can impact performance. The seminal Hawthorne studies, let us know that we respond not only to actual changes in our work environment — we are motivated by the interest that is displayed. (Whether the lights were dimmer or brighter, productivity increased.) Remain connected — it matters.
• Provide specific feedback. Managers often find themselves in a difficult place when dealing with performance deficits. Many work under the unrealistic premise, that they should treat every team member in exactly the same manner. However, in application this is rarely effective. Strive to be fair, but offer targeted, specific feedback (even if negative) to help team members affect their performance issues.
• Be the example. According to recent HBR research, how leaders behave has far greater impact than what they might say. (Surprise, surprise.) When leaders/managers model key aspects of sustainable work environments (healthy working hours, "refueling breaks", utilizing vacation time) employees experience less stress and greater job satisfaction. It's very simple: practice what you preach.
• Be a "Scrum Master ". In the agile management method of Scrum, there is a specific role aimed at tackling impediments that prevent great work from being executed/implemented. It's often the case, that great ideas and products never take flight because they become bogged down by "red tape". So — use your skills (and influence) to make great things happen.
• Be a coach. Google's Project Oxygen went to great lengths to pin-point what separates competent managers from those that are truly exceptional. The takeaway? Becoming a better manager is much simpler than you might have expected (See more here). High on their 8 point list? Be a career advocate and clear away pesky obstacles. What is less important? Deep technical expertise.
• Talk about personal goals. Newcomers enter organizations with their own career goals. Research tells us that helping employees make progress and possibly attain these goals — can impact both job satisfaction and organizational commitment. Be sure to converse with each team member about what they would like to learn or achieve, as these help maintain a viable psychological contract.
• Do a great job of defining team roles. For all of the training we invest in to help teams excel, one of the best actions is to clarify roles and take a step back. (No one wants to be micro-managed.) In fact, to increase collaboration, make role boundaries clear; there will be less time negotiating "who does what" and fewer turf wars.
• Practice positivity. We all have a tendency to emphasize negative information (our brains are wired to pay greater attention). However, emphasizing what is actually going well within your team, can be a motivating force. Remaining positive, even in the face of challenge, is shown to correlate with meaningful business outcomes. You can begin by building Psychological Capital (PsyCap) (The HERO skills of Hope, self-efficacy, resiliency and optimism), by recognizing small successes and building flexible thinking.

More on the topic:

• How Not to Lose Top Talent
• Mending the Psychological Contract
• Note to Managers: Positivity Matters

Do you have strategies to share? Tell your story.

Dr. Marla Gottschalk is an Industrial/Organizational Psychologist. She is a charter member of the LinkedIn Influencer program. She also writes The Office Blend.

Photo: Standford University