Management to Leadership

There was a time when organizations faced with the task of cutting costs drastically, took the approach of axing employees at the middle level. Apparently, middle managers were seen as associated with managing things albeit at a higher cost and contributing less value and hence fairly expendable. So if you needed to cut costs or eliminate layers, these employees were the first to get the pink slip.

So what was the impact on organizations that took this approach, rather than developing their managers? Low Employee Engagement rates and High turnover rates.

Research by Gallup shows that:

75% of the reported reasons people quit their jobs are directly tied to their manager.

Only 13% of employees worldwide are engaged at work—and these low numbers haven’t improved in nearly 12 years.

That said, it is high time for organizations to start looking at their middle managers through a more strategic lens. Managers play a central role, not just in making sure key tasks are completed, but in engaging employees to be more vested in the organization and inspired to contribute their best. They are critical for helping organizations keep and grow top talent, a huge concern as employee disengagement and turnover rates are costing companies.

The implications are clear: The manager role is more important than ever, but it also requires new skills and behaviors—ones that, in the past, may have been associated only with those at the top levels of the org chart. And that is why you would find progressive organizations focusing on identifying successors and hi-pots, creating more leaders aka a leadership pipeline!

Thus organizations that want to maximize productivity, get more innovative, and avoid the risks and costs of turnover need to develop managers who can effectively “lead at the middle.”

The words “manager” and “leader” are often used interchangeably.

Typical managerial behaviors and skills are task-oriented and administrative. It’s all about keeping the day-to-day running and ensuring assignments and projects get completed. On the other hand, Leaders have a broader VISION, are future focused, can see both the wide and the long view, AND can connect to people i.e. having the skills, strength, and credibility to INSPIRE people to take action and move forward.

It's important to note here that Managerial behaviors are important as they provide the structure and routine that keeps the business on track but they aren’t enough anymore.

Managers get work done while Leaders inspire massive action and results!

According to the 2017 Gallup report referenced earlier, highly engaged business teams result in 21% greater profitability. Being inspired plays a vital role in the productivity of a team.

Employees are looking for opportunities to grow in their role and apply their talents. Who is available to guide them? Do they have a manager who leads, mentors or coaches who can connect, guide and inspire them. Having said that, the good news is that these are leadership qualities that your managers can develop with the right self-reflection, training, coaching and support.

Which brings us to the question- Are your managers currently leading?

Do they have “tunnel vision” OR have interest in the broader picture?

Do they run confusing OR productive meetings?

Do they lack empathy OR are aware of their impact on others?

Do they communicate in an overly technical, unclear, OR an inspiring way?

Do their employees do the minimum to get by OR having breakthrough results?

Do their relationships with their employees, peers, or higher-ups are weak OR engaging?

Are they unable to influence outside of their own “silo” ?

Do their employees feel disconnected from the organization’s vision?

It is important to understand that Leadership and Management must go hand-in-hand, so it’s important for your managers to learn how to balance both sets of skills.

What can managers do to behave more like leaders?

• Build relationships with your teams. Don't go to your teams only for work or targets and deadlines. Feed the relationship with trust, empathy and genuine care.
• Ask for feedback informally from colleagues and employees, and more formally from own managers. A 360-degree feedback assessment can provide for greater insights on how you are being perceived.
• Spend time to reflect on improvement and the team. Book time in your calendars to review actions and conversations
• Focus on the big picture, not just the deliverables. To delegate more effectively, provide employees with a better understanding of how their role fits into the bigger context.
• The formal performance review shouldn’t be the only time you tell your team members why their contributions are valued. When a job is well done, acknowledge it and reward the person responsible. When there’s room for improvement, offer appropriate feedback--this is how people grow.

These leadership techniques require practice and can’t be mastered overnight. However, training and coaching can help your managers develop their leadership skills and executive presence !