Last weekend friends and I went to a restaurant and our conversation was interrupted by a child. You’ve seen it yourself; sweaty, scrunched up face; flailing legs and arms and screeching that digs down just like a dentist’s drill. We commiserated with the harried parent who was probably wishing their kid had come with an owner’s manual since the mix of cajoling, yelling and bribery weren’t working out.
In the same manner that parents raise their children without benefit of formal training, many newly minted managers are given a pat on the back, attaboy (or attagirl) as a hearty congratulations and left to navigate the complexities of engaging, developing and maximizing the productivity of a diverse group of people all on their own.
The results are predictably mixed. Some are fortunate enough to have had role models they can draw from and sufficient self-awareness to know that leading teams is a skill that needs thoughtful practice. Some, however, are driven by arrogance or by fear to induce employees to produce the bare minimum required to stay employed while they set all LinkedIn, Glassdoor and Indeed alerts in the hopes of finding a manager that will motivate, inspire and value their contributions.
However, training, coaching and mentoring managers isn’t the first step in moving towards an engaged workforce. The first step is ensuring that managers selected have an attitude that supports engagement. Attitude is inherent; it can’t be taught. Supervisors must genuinely care about the people on their team and the outcomes they produce, not just about their own interests and advancement.
Here is where the apology comes in. No matter how well intentioned, without proper training, coaching and mentoring, that first team will pay the price of your ignorance because managing becomes a matter of trial and error. To that first team, I should have:
- Painted an ambitious and inspiring picture of what we could accomplish together
- Been clear and explicit in my expectations of you
- Asked incessantly what your dreams and aspirations were and how I could help you get there
- Helped you identify your strengths and how to leverage them
- Communicated tirelessly and transparently especially before, during and after a change
- Backed you up in front of the rest of the organization no matter what discussions we had behind closed doors
According to Gallup, managers account for at least 70% of the variance in employee engagement scores. With employee engagement linked to customer satisfaction, productivity and profitability, doesn’t it make sense to create thoughtful and integrated initiatives to select and develop managers that won’t have to apologize?
Talent Amplified 