Every day I see and hear managers struggling with leading their people resulting in a lot of wasted time for the manager, the employee and ultimately the company. And as we all know, wasted time is not friendly to the bottom line. Most managers continue to manage by the fist instead of empowering and leading by removing barriers and developing their employees. Why you ask? Maybe because some managers still fear that if their employees perform well, especially when they are not around, that the company will realize that the manager is not needed. By managers really empowering and enabling their employees to get better every day, the company benefits and the manager can continue to grow, develop and stay relevant. Some managers are just so used to ruling with the fist (or it may just feel easier to them to lead that way), that they find their employees not fully engaged.
According to the Gallup polls, only 36% of U.S. employees were engaged in their work in 2020, and 18% were actively disengaged. Even though that is slightly higher than the 25% in 2019, it is still really low. Another startling fact from the Gallup poll is that managers are only at 38.4% engaged so no wonder our employees are not engaged. If we can provide the managers the tools they need to effectively make an impact on their employees, they will become more engaged and their teams will follow. Disengagement costs U.S. companies $3 billion dollars a year according to Gallup.
So how can managers make a positive impact on their employees and ultimately increase engagement? By leading and not bossing. My mantra is “Be Great…Today!” and I think if managers adapted this same way of thinking, they would impact not only themselves, but also their employees beyond expectations. I think there are a few key behaviors that managers can adopt that will have this profound impact on them and their teams. In order for managers to sustain greatness, their tools need to be simple. Remember, production is king, and that applies whether you are manufacturing a tangible product or selling a service.
The 4 key behaviors are: set and communicate clear expectations, set and communicate clear consequences, provide effective and consistent feedback, and provide continuous follow up because you care. If managers can follow these key behaviors, managers can “Be Great…Today!” which will ultimately make their team’s “Be Great…Today!”
- Set and communicate clear expectations is in my mind first for a reason. Managers tell me all of the time how their employee(s) are not performing or doing what they are supposed to do. The first thing I ask them is if the employee knows what they are supposed to be doing and if the manager has had those direct conversations with them. The answer I usually get is that they have not spoken to them, but they should know what is expected of them. How could they possibly know, if we do not tell them? Most employees leave because of their direct manager and can you blame them when the manager does not clearly tell them what they are to do? Then the manager usually comes down on them when they do not achieve what the manager wanted them to achieve.
This key behavior alone will have a big impact because it essentially accomplishes two things. Clear direction or objectives for the employee is established so they know exactly what they need to do, and it aligns the employee with the manager’s objectives which in turn should be aligned to the company. This gets everyone understanding where they are going and how they will get there. Generally speaking, employees do not get up in the morning and think, “how can I be a horrible employee today” so if we have an imaginary bar set for them, they will never be able to jump up and grab it. In fact, most will not even attempt to jump because they cannot see it. Annual performance reviews and goal setting at the beginning of the year are important, but it is not enough. These conversations should be happening on a daily basis.
- Setting and communicating clear consequences This does not mean only negative consequences either. This should always include the negative and positive consequences so the employee fully understands and can make a choice to perform or not perform. I am not saying that a manager needs to tell the employee, “if you send me an analysis with a typo in it, then you are fired,” but the employee needs to be accountable and there will not be any accountability without consequences. You also do not want to over promise. A manager should not communicate a positive consequence like a raise or a bonus if the manager will not be able to deliver. The consequences could simply be ensuring the employee understands the positive or negative impact of their actions on the company and/or the customer/end user. “If you complete these five car seats by noon, then little Sarah and Johnny will be able to arrive safely to their destination.”
- Provide effective and consistent feedback Simply saying thanks or good job is not effective feedback and neither is specific feedback delivered weeks after the fact. The feedback, whether it is positive or developmental in nature, should be specific, honest, open and timely (SHOT). I like to tell managers to always give their employees their best SHOT as a way to help them remember.
Anytime we can be specific about the event, incident, situation or task coupled with what they did and the end result, the more impactful it is. The employee will better understand exactly what the manager is telling them, and it will also show that the manager pays attention to what they do and not in a micromanager kind of way. Timely is just as important because the longer we wait the less impact the feedback will make. If the feedback is to try and correct a behavior, performance, quality, etc. issue and we wait, we are impacting the customer or downstream recipient and reinforcing the behavior. Honest and open are a must to any type of feedback.
Sometimes managers struggle with difficult conversations, but if you focus on the behavior and not the person, then the person will be less likely to become defensive and be more open. Managers also need to take a balanced approach. One of the biggest comments I hear during exit interviews or employee relation investigations is the only time they hear from their supervisor is when they have done something wrong. I have never heard an employee say the only time they hear or see their manager is when they are there to praise them. In this highly competitive world where everyone is competing and trying to get better, we cannot continue to function in that old mindset.
Yes, we do need to have the developmental conversation with our employees, but we need to be searching for ways to recognize them as well. Even top performers will start losing fire if they do not receive positive feedback on how they are doing and the impact they are making. With the Millennials and Generation Z pouring into the workforce, we must be prepared to give feedback often. If we do not give that feedback, the millennials will directly ask for it and they will ask often. If managers are not prepared, they will be caught off guard and probably respond with a generic response that is really ineffective. So the quick knee jerk reaction would be, “You are doing great. Everything is fine.”
The other aspect of providing the feedback is for managers to ask for feedback on how they are doing. This is important as well because we all have room for improvement and development. This is leading by example because if they see their manager is open and willing to hear feedback, then they will be more willing. If the current method being used by the manager or the actions they have taken to help the employees is not working, it would be good for the manager to know so they can make adjustments. This back and forth feedback really fosters the trust and trust is at the center of leadership. Without trust, the team will never be great.
- Provide continuous follow up because you care. This step is the one I see most managers struggle with. We all get busy and have several things going on at once so it can be easy not to loop back and follow up with an employee. By not following up, we are not following through on our expectations and feedback. The employee could get off course, maybe the direction needs to change or maybe what was implemented or recommended did not work and the employee is back to square one. Maybe the manager thought they got to the bottom of something, but maybe they missed something or did not dig deep enough. If managers do not continue to follow up, the employee could lose motivation, get frustrated and ultimately become disengaged and leave the organization. By the manager following up, it shows they care about the employee and the job they are doing.
Every individual is different and unique, and it is part of the manager’s duty to understand what each employee needs from them. Every action or inaction we take, is impactful to us, our employees, our organizations and ultimately our customers. These 4 key behaviors are a continuous process, but a process that I believe will make a truly positive impact on your team, their performance and their engagement. Remember to always give your employees your best SHOT!
What impact will you choose to make right now? We really can change the world one action at a time.
Brandon Brazeel, MBA, SPHR, SHRM-SCP
Chief People Officer
