The Good, The Better, and The High-Performing Manager

Yup. No bad apple, no mediocracy, no just-good-enough. They all exceeded expectations. But one manager shined above the rest.

Why?

It all came down to one thing: how the managers spent their time.

The good manager preferred indirect communication by email. Every day, his directs would read a very long and detailed email where he would give instructions on all the tasks that needed to be completed. His training style was very by-the-book. Thorough. Efficient. All his directs were trained in all aspects required by headquarters. His feedback was always general, his tone always positive.

The better manager, he had a preference for direct group or one-on-one communication. His training style was similar to the good manager, but with one significant difference. He would infuse his own personal experiences into the company training. This made the material much easier to digest and retain. He was not much on giving feedback.

The high performer favored direct communication with a preference for one-on-one meetings and the occasional group meeting. Hands-on training was his main, if not his only, method. Feedback was always immediate. It was a down-in-the-trenches tactic.

All these managers worked generally the same hours, with only one significant difference: the time they spent in direct and personal interactions with their directs. And, not surprisingly, the performance indicators favored the trench-dweller. Working shoulder to shoulder provided this manager the opportunity to effectively and efficiently hone his team. In turn, his team reflected his efforts with the high performance he would be measured against.

There is no way around it. You have to get your hands dirty if you want to bat in the big leagues. No shortcuts, no backseat management. Roll up your sleeves and get in the trench.