Change Strategists’ Post

This is such an interesting discussion about what makes a great manager.

Did you see a recent Gallup poll of more than 1 million workers concluded that the number 1 reason employees leave jobs is because of their managers!   It was Marcus Buckingham who first got quoted on this “People leave managers not companies” back in 1999. A quarter of a century later it's still so true! So how can we change this?   Definitely invest in management development for ALL your managers. Really consider carefully who your managers and leaders actually are.   Here are 12 questions that GREAT MANAGERS score positively on from their employees. Take a look at these and consider how you would score:   1 Do you know what is expected at work? 2 Do you have the materials and equipment you need to do the work? 3 At work, do you have the opportunity to do what you do best everyday? 4 In the past week, have you received praise or recognition for doing good work? 5 Does your manager tend to care about you? 6 Is there someone at work that encourages your professional and personal development? 7 Do you feel that your opinion counts at work?  8 Does the purpose of the company make you feel your work is important? 9 Are your co-workers as committed to doing quality work? 10 Do you have a best friend at work? 11 In the last 6 months has your manager discussed your progress/ aspirations? 12 In the last year of work, have you had the opportunity to learn and grow?   Sprinkle in the "human factors" of real relationships and deep TRUST, EMPATHY and SUPPORT and you have a magic retention and engagement tool!    What would you add to this list? What has worked for you?

Help support your employees' growth + professional development by doing these 6 things. https://brnw.ch/21wLZ3a

Transitioning from an individual contributor to a first-time manager is a significant career milestone, but it comes with unique challenges. Check out these tips for supporting new managers in your organization. https://hubs.li/Q02RBMsv0

I was thinking about my grandfather the other day and it led me to ponder how we strike a balance between the benefit an organization gets from the employee and vice versa. My grandfather worked for a large oil refinery for 40+ years. He served in World War II as a Chaplain, which I don’t think prepared him technically to become a refinery supervisor. An extremely well-respected supervisor lovingly nicknamed “The Chief” at that! I loved listening to his stories and at his retirement party, decades worth of people who worked with him came to wish him well! What struck me was in all of the stories I heard over the years a common theme was how he was provided with a career path, stability and investment in himself along with other folks who worked hard and had ambition. Most started with little to no skill but received paid on the job training for most of their careers. They put their sweat equity into the company and the company invested back in those employees. It was no secret what it took to advance and even when you laterally changed jobs, you were taught a new skill set and then expected to perform. This got me thinking. How many companies out there today can take a reliable, positive and ambitious employee and grow them in a way that benefits the employee and the organization? I bet there are a bunch of companies that can, and even more that cannot. How often do we promote a high performer from an individual contributor role to a team leader and wonder why they are struggling six months down the line. “Well, they were great as an engineer, they should be good at managing engineering projects. We told them about 1:1’s”. That is a little tongue in cheek, but I have seen this all throughout my career.  Do we teach folks how to lead in OUR organizations? Do we know what we want out of our supervisors and managers? Do we set clear expectations and coach/mentor while skills are being developed? Do we utilize outside experts in management and leadership to sharpen the skills of even seasoned leaders? I think we too often expect employees to just figure it out or magically flip a switch and have access to tools in their toolkit that were not there before. When I was at Amazon, Jeff used to say (no, not directly to me!) “You obsess over your employees, so your employees can obsess over the customer”. Meaning, your people are your most important asset. If we help make our teams as skilled, supported and invested in as possible, the more flexible and resilient we become to deliver on our core goals/objectives. I have been very lucky to have a mentor throughout my career who told me early on, “…there must be balance. How much does the company get out of the employee and how much does the employee get out of the company.” As leaders we should be vocal advocates about what it takes to develop and foster the next wave of leaders! #coffeetalks #leadership #employees #peoplematter #customerobsession #HR #learninganddevelopment #teamwork

A few product leaders in my network have reposted this, and for good reason. I have always preferred to work closely with product execs who still code, hack (and stay close to the latest being taught at the university level). These are the leaders who want to stay technical. I argue these are the folks most grounded on customer/ innovation need. Here’s another person’s point of view on why to do this.

Similar to a post I saw last week, current 'buzz terms', jargon, nomenclature, etc., aside, work together as HR professionals to determine if tasks and skills s/b be divided or united...pro skills, personal skills, etc.... It's professionally exhausting and mildly counterproductive to 'upgrade' or 'modernize' in the name of 'current trends'. How about trying a retro approach? Skills are skills and future generations, younger workers, understand this. It's like plain speak for employers and employees. Expand upon your ideas in policy and procedures, in anticipation of those full-timers hired today and on down the line. Have a good day.

A great read I encourage everyone to check out. Supporting (especially training and expectation setting) new managers is critically important to set them up for success. When managers are struggling, it is often because they weren't given the tools or resources in the beginning (good news is there are solutions!).

Do your team members depend on you too much? How much of your day do you spend answering the same questions over and over? As a manager, it’s crucial to assess how much time you’re dedicating to supporting your team and whether this is an efficient use of your day. While your role is to provide support, it shouldn’t mean spending 80% of your time addressing routine inquiries. Quick note: Studies show that employees who leverage their own problem-solving abilities are more engaged and tend to stay with their jobs longer. To address the root causes of excessive dependency on managers, consider these three scenarios and their solutions: 1. Insufficient Training If your team relies on you because their initial training was lacking, it’s time to enhance their learning process. Develop a thorough training program and an updated knowledge base. Encourage your team to use this as the first resource for procedural questions. Involving team members in creating and maintaining the knowledge base can boost engagement and satisfaction. 2. Self-Efficacy Issues Employees struggling with self-confidence need support to overcome their fears of failure. Work with them closely, helping them gradually step out of their comfort zones while providing a safety net. Gradually increase their responsibilities to build their confidence and independence. 3. Attitude Problems Some employees may prefer asking you questions for convenience, despite having access to the necessary information. In such cases, have a candid discussion about their responsibilities. Make it clear that they should only come to you for exceptional issues and that failure to adhere to this can hinder their professional growth and eligibility for promotions. This approach will help you build a more independent and capable team, freeing you to focus on the strategic aspects of your role. Let's build teams and businesses to last! #Leadership #ManagementTips #EmployeeEngagement #ProfessionalDevelopment #WorkplaceEfficiency #ManagerLife #KnowledgeBase #TeamSupport #SelfEfficacy #WorkplaceTraining

Great article by Keith Hoodlet