Managers Who Teach and Workers Who Learn: A Match Made In Heaven

Every year, universities across the world churn out new graduates who join the workforce. Companies hire them hoping they will stir their organizations with fresh ideas, passion, and creativity. Yet, they find these new workers often only stay a few months. Instead of injecting their organizations with new blood, they often introduce resentment from and conflict with those who have worked there for years. People attribute this to a pervasive millennial attitude, but there’s more to it than that. Why do these newcomers leave? And, more importantly, what will it take to make them stay?

Today, there is less emphasis on employment longevity than there is on the ability to acquire more skills on the job. Workers want to learn. Not only do they expect to apply the theoretical knowledge they gained at school, but they also expect to gain even more knowledge on the job. To recruit, raise and retain talent, a great manager needs to be a great teacher, too!

Managers require the same set of skills as teachers: the ability to discover each student’s strengths, draw them out, help them harness and enhance those skills, and support them as they move to the next stage.

Think back to your own teachers. Was there a teacher who fired you up? Who made you want to learn and keep you looking forward to the next lesson? If you can recall teachers who inspired you, strive to emulate them.

Here are a few teaching skills that can help you, as a manager, become a better team leader:

1. Have a vision.

When teachers start the school year, they have a clear picture of what they want their students to accomplish by the end of the year … and each step they must take to reach that goal.

This quality is critical for good leaders, too. You need to keep your eye on the end goal even during tough times so you can inspire and motivate your people to work through difficult situations. Having a vision not only makes you a good business manager but a good PEOPLE manager, too.

2. Have patience.

This trait is a “must” for teachers. Can you imagine dealing with a roomful of kids, each with their own needs and demands, each asking for attention — often some or all at the same time?

Managing a team also requires patience — especially during times of stress. From searching for new candidates, knowing the right persons to hire, and orienting new employees … to helping team members deal with tough problems, patience is invaluable.

Patience also helps with communication. For example, if you can’t be patient with a frustrating situation, your body language with reflect that. As a result, your message will be lost in translation.

3. Have good communication skills.

Teachers understand the importance of communicating their goals for each student — not only to the student and parents but also to management.

As managers, you need to clearly communicate your goals for your company and for your team. It’s equally important to listen to each employee’s goals. Aligning the two will guarantee that you can support your employees to build the skills they need to accomplish their tasks and move into the future.

4. Have empathy.

Good teachers empathize with the struggles of their students. They understand their backgrounds and see where they are coming from. They also practice echoing what students tell them to ensure they comprehend what they hear.

In the same way, people managers need to understand other points of view. You need to consider the opinions of your team and the opinions of your customers. When you value other viewpoints and communicate this understanding, your team will work together to achieve goals and reach success.

5. Have the ability to discern and build skills

Teachers and managers help the people under their care identify the weaknesses they need to overcome and the strengths they need to build.

It’s not easy to conduct formal skill assessments. There are no precise tests you can give to scrutinize your employees’ abilities. Instead, you rely on your employees’ own perceptions and observations. Always remember to communicate with your employees on an ongoing basis. This will help you put them in situations where they can use their current capabilities, and, at the same time, face challenges to help them develop new strengths. Meeting each other halfway also ensures that individual goals are in line with overall company goals.

Great managers and great teachers have more in common than you think. Both are leaders, have a vision for their teams, and need to effectively communicate this vision to succeed. Both are skilled in identifying people’s strengths and in providing opportunities to use and expand those strengths.

Managers and teachers can learn from each other. Every good manager must also be a good teacher, and vice versa. Technical knowledge is vital for both. But great managers — like great teachers — also need empathy, adaptability and the ability to motivate others to persevere — especially when the going gets tough.