Could manager development be the key to unlocking better employee engagement?

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Hey hey,

It’s Yen Tan from Kona. ??I’m a long-time superfan of fully remote work, people-first cultures, and of course, Oyster. I’m thrilled to take over this month’s newsletter to talk about middle managers and their impact on employee engagement.

You’ve probably heard the saying, “people leave managers, not companies.”

Regardless of how carefully People Ops leaders set up a company’s ideals, managers often produce its reality. A manager’s behavior defines an employee’s experience. We refer to this as “The Manager Multiplier Effect” and Gallup found that managers create up to a 70% variance in team engagement scores.

CPOs are taking this to heart. We’re seeing manager enablement take top priority for 2024. Manager populations are the ideal lever for engagement and retention, especially when People teams are asked to “do more with less.”

We’ve been studying remote management for the last five years and talked to 1,500 managers and People Ops leaders while building Kona, the AI sidekick for remote managers. Here’s everything we know about “The Manager Multiplier” effect, and what you can do about it.

In this issue, you'll find:

? New manager toolkit

? Deep dive into training managers

? AI Guide for L&D

The Manager Multiplier Effect ??

Let’s look at the typical engagement survey and ask ourselves, “Is there anything on here that ISN’T impacted by my manager?”

From feeling recognized for great work to having the resources to execute and access growth opportunities, managers are responsible for the majority of an employee’s day-to-day experience––even if managers aren’t fully aware of this.

The best managers bring out the best in their teams. It’s no wonder why so many People teams have leaned on “The Manager Multiplier Effect” and prioritized manager enablement.

Managing is a tough job

We talked to dozens of managers entering their third, fifth, even seventh year of managing without ever having formal management training.?

This is the reality for a lot of high-growth companies that promoted their top performers and told them to figure it out on the fly. You can DIY a lot of things, but managing teams isn’t the easiest to pick up from books or tutorials.?

There are dozens of soft skills to master, skills that require practice (and mistakes) to make perfect. There are also extremely high stakes, with consequences ranging from nerve-wracking conversations to stagnating team productivity to full employee relations nightmares.

Put bluntly, your managers have a major impact on team engagement and they’re struggling to juggle everything. They need your help!

What Every Manager Should Know

Why training managers is even tougher ??

We spend a lot of time talking to People Business Partners, Org Effectiveness Leaders, and L&D/Talent Development specialists. These folks are manager development experts!

There are four consistent problems they run into when trying to give this crucial population the support it deserves:

1. Managers don’t read the resources we create.
2. Managers struggle to apply the lessons from our workshops.
3. We have to manually hand-hold and coach managers 1:1.
4. Our engagement surveys show that managers need more support!

Yes, managers need our help. They also need something that fits how they work, doesn’t add extra tasks or workshops to their busy schedule, and gives them the tools to take action fast.

Dive Deep into Challenges

Things to Try (from Courses to AI) ??

We’ve seen the whole gamut of manager enablement offerings. One major throughline is that managers need a system of support, layered resources and tooling, and workshops that fit effortlessly together.

Of course, building that system doesn’t happen overnight. Here’s how some of the smartest L&D leaders develop their manager training:

1. In-house L&D builds company-specific manager resources and learning stipends
2. L&D facilitates peer cohort programs and manager 101 programs
3. People Ops invests in AI and LMS to reinforce a continuous learning culture
4. Growing the L&D function, people analytics, and world-class manager support ??

Depending on your company’s readiness, a different manager development strategy may be relevant to you.?

Read our AI Guide for L&D

Looking ahead ??

That’s a wrap, folks! Manager development is a tough oyster (hah) but one of the most scalable strategies for building happier, healthier teams.

Because at the end of the day, we all want to love who we work with, feel valued, and do some of the best work of our lives.

See you later,

Yen, your friend at Kona

UPCOMING EVENTS ??

Oyster x LifeLabs Linkedin Live

Save The Date: August 21st at 2:00 PM EST

Navigating Hybrid Work: Strategies for a Balanced and Resilient Workforce. Join us for a Linkedin Live where we’ll explore the dynamic landscape of hybrid work. Discover expert strategies to foster a balanced and resilient workforce, blending remote and in-office environments seamlessly. Learn from experts from Oyster and LifeLabs as they share actionable insights and best practices to help your team thrive in this new era of work.

Kona’s People Leader Book Club

October 24th at 10:00 AM PST?

Join us to meet with Jerry Colonna, renowned author of “Reboot” and CEO coach, to talk about his book. Come read an awesome book and chat with us.

Register here.