The Overlooked Skills Needed To Be A High-Performing Manager

Managers are tasked with getting the best out of their employees. Each manager has their own philosophy on how to do this. Some use sticks, others use carrots, and then there are those who attempt to befriend everyone á la Michael Scott.?

Regardless of individual style, there are certain skills all managers need. They need to be good communicators, have interpersonal skills, and be able to delegate. These skills we’re all familiar with. However, there are overlooked skills that separate mediocre managers from the all-stars.?

How A Good Manager Impacts A Company

The impact of a good versus bad manager can be felt by both employees and your company’s bottom line.?

Research shows that working directly under a high-quality manager can double the odds that an employee will stay at a company. This is a big deal as currently 50% of employees nationwide are considering changing jobs. The thing is, only high-performing managers have this effect. Even managers who are not disliked by employees but are seen as simply going through the motions will ultimately hurt retention rates.?

One reason why good managers boost retention rates is because these leaders know how to keep employees engaged. A recent Gallup study’s biggest finding was that “70% of the variance in team engagement is determined solely by the manager.” Managers play an outsized role in keeping employees stimulated. However, these benefits are only produced by top-tier managers.?

A good manager has the ability to create a productive, happy workplace culture that, according to Gallup, can boost a company’s profits by up to 48%. With numbers like these, it’s worth taking a look into the overlooked traits that separate a decent manager from a great one.?

Empathy

We have this idea that when we step into the workplace, we’re all business. Our work is our work and our personal lives are our personal lives.?

It’s this thinking that discourages managers from seeing employees as the complex humans that they are. When managers refuse to empathize with employees and instead draw a professional line they refuse to cross at all costs, they’re actually hurting themselves, the employees, and overall productivity.?

Employees who believe their managers are empathetic are more productive, innovative, engaged, stay at their job longer, and report working in more inclusive workplaces when compared to aloof or apathetic managers.?

If you feel like your managers aren’t very empathetic, that’s okay. Empathy is a learned skill that even seasoned managers can cultivate. One simple way is to make time every day to ask oneself what employees are going through. This can be taken even further by conversing with employees and asking how they feel, listening to their issues, and responding to them effectively.?

Active Listening

Managers are used to talking.?

Listening, on the other hand, is something that some managers need to work on. According to a Psychological Associates study, as many as three out of every four managers don’t listen well. If a manager cannot listen, they can’t communicate effectively, build a bond with employees, gain respect, or have a firm grasp on how employees feel or the challenges they face.?

Part of the reason managers don’t listen well is because of the many tasks they are simultaneously juggling. Clearing their minds and making space to have a conversation and really listen to another person becomes difficult when they’re overwhelmed.?

Far too often managers push their own ideas instead of listening to others and asking probing questions to get the most out of their team. When managers listen, they source ideas, refine their thinking, and boost the confidence of their team.?

Treating Employees As Unique

Every employee has their own story to tell. Each one faces their own challenges, has their own strengths, and a wealth of other personal characteristics that make them unique.?

Treating every employee as a cog means managers aren’t getting the most out of them. To really understand each employee, managers must spend time with them, ask questions, and seek to understand employees on a deeper level. With the help of HR, managers can help create personalized management styles and growth plans for each employee.??

Trust In Employees

Managers who don’t trust employees micromanage them. They tell them exactly how they want something done, refuse to listen, make every decision themselves, and have little respect for employees.?

Second to perhaps money (though not in all cases), employees want autonomy at work. They want the freedom to solve a problem their own way and reap the gratification that comes from knowing the achievement is their own.?

Trust is essential in the workplace. Good managers know how to delegate and give employees the space and time they need to work through problems on their own.?

Unbiased Interactions?

Biased behavior runs rampant in the workplace. But what’s curious is that managers have been found to be more biased than lower-level employees. This is particularly alarming considering the outsized influence their decisions and behavior can have on the office.?

Whether unconscious or not, biased behavior can affect who is hired, who is promoted, and whose ideas are listened to and implemented. Biasm leads to teams underperforming and workers becoming so dissatisfied with bosses that they leave.??

Unbiased interactions allow managers to see employees for who they are and to judge their work without being impacted by bias.?

All of these behaviors and skills can be learned. An average manager can become a great one with the right guidance. At The Executive Learning Lab we teach employees how to become leaders. Through in-person and online consultations we can help train managers so that they become more mindful and productive leaders. Book a call now so we can learn more about your company, managers, and business goals.