Most people are just not wired for the great responsibility of managing people. Unfortunately, this includes many who already hold management positions. The evidence is in the data found in the infographic below. A manager’s ability to engage employees is the greatest factor in realizing the potential of teams and getting real results. Gallup Organization’s research uncovers a corporate tragedy. Most managers get only a fraction of the talent, skills, loyalty, and spirit of their team members.  Their employees rarely give their company the value or horsepower they are capable of contributing. Great managers get the most from and for their employees. Managers must be chosen very carefully and then coached to help their teams reach their full potential.

 Engagement is the most important driver of organization performance. Managers are the most important driver of engagement. When you ask employees to define engagement, you often get similar answers.  They want to see their manager value them, instill pride, allow autonomy, create teamwork, provide challenging work, and give feedback, etc. Regrettably, most people do not possess the combination of traits and skills to provide that to direct reports.  

 I would argue that nothing is more profitable and impactful than hiring managers with the traits outlined above. Those managers will have the confidence and savvy to avoid performance management myths. Instead, they will carry out the smart performance management strategies derived from the facts detailed below. 

 

So, where do we go from here?

Companies wanting to engage their employees to sustain high performance should make a real commitment to do four things incredibly well:

Hire the Right Managers

Only two out of ten employees have what it takes to be a great manager. Choosing the right managers starts with a robust hiring process that includes the use of talent analytics. Intuition and gut feel is simply not enough when choosing managers. At Sagency, we add science to the hiring equation. We use validated and reliable assessments powered by brain research. Our rigorous evaluation uncovers whether or not a managerial candidate has what it takes to be great. Our human analytics approach allows us to look beyond the bullet points on a resume to determine if a candidate will be an effective leader within an organization. Consider hiring using these three steps:

  1. Benchmark and define the position considering the purpose, goals, responsibilities, competencies, major challenges, and qualifications.
  2. Use science and thorough evaluation to ensure anyone you hire has the right talents and abilities to do the job well.
  3. Once hired, coach them to excellence.

Hire the Right Team

Even the best managers can erode the engagement and performance of their team when they mis-hire. Top leaders should provide the resources and accountability for selecting people who are a good fit for the culture. Selecting, retaining, and developing a high-performing team should be every manager's first key accountability area.

Coaching Great Managers

Coaching in the workplace is not new, but it is an underutilized employee development tool. Great managers improve through great coaching. True coaching involves active inquiry, proactive feedback, encouragement, inspiration, and laser-focus on results. Coaching focuses on the strengths of the manager and closes leadership gaps that limit the manager’s performance. An effective coaching relationship will improve the productivity and efficiency of a manager.  Effective coaching will result in higher employee satisfaction and retention on the manager’s team.

Equipping Managers to be Great Coaches

The most important competency that separates highly-effective managers from average ones is coaching. Building a coaching culture that hires, trains, and coaches managers to greatness takes visible action and support from senior leadership.  Building coaching competency requires investment, but the fruits of this labor are endless. Managers who are great coaches have team members that stay, strive, and say positive things about the company. Teams led by coaching managers are more accountable for results.

Most managers know they have a responsibility to generate profit and/or sustain and grow the impact of the organization. The best managers also take enormous pride in bettering the lives of the people they manage. Great managers tie their success to the success of their team members.

You can't create a coaching culture overnight. The weak managers on your team will fight against a coaching culture. Yet, creating a coaching culture should be a strategic imperative for your company.  Equip managers with a simple but powerful framework and model and train the skills for effective coaching.

The Bottom Line

Coaching in management is more valuable and important than ever. It by no means should it be considered a “soft” skill. Coaching enables managers to optimize teamwork and maximize the individual contributions of each team member. To create healthy workplace environments with ongoing performance improvement, it is critical a culture of coaching is cultivated. A consistent coaching framework and process must be embraced. Senior leaders should utilize with managers, and managers should practice it with those they supervise.

While people will disagree about the exact definition of employee engagement, the data is clear: engaged employees perform better all around. The growing body of evidence accumulated by Gallup and other organizations makes a compelling case: engaged employees work harder, better, longer, smarter, are absent less, go the extra mile, overcome barriers, are more creative, and are more likely to adapt to the constantly changing workplace.

The increased focus on coaching employees enhances people’s experience at work, and it improves the performance of the organization. Productive organizations realize coaching is an important component to engaging employees. It’s not just good for employees; it’s good for customers and the bottom line. Engaged employees create competitive advantages that are difficult to copy.  Coaching to improve engagement is a “must-have” component of a successful business strategy.

Comments:

What would you add or subtract to help managers engage employees and improve performance?

Infographic

The infographic contains research completed by two very respectable industry leaders: The Gallup Organization and McLean & Company. You can download the full infographic by clicking here.

About Sagency

Sagency exists to help leaders build valuable and impactful organizations where people reach their full potential. We believe the most important leadership decisions are people decisions. Leaders create unmatched value and impact when they hire people who fit the role and culture and invest in their potential. Our craft combines practical insights, science, and smart strategies. We help leaders make sage (wise) decisions about how to hire, engage, develop, and keep their people. Find out more at Sagencytalent.com.