Sometime in the late Twentieth Century, the term ‘manager’ became a four-letter word. It was a clear indicator of inefficiency and redundancy. Even worse was the term ‘middle-manager’ — now synonymous with ‘useless’. As we near the third decade of this century, technology has become an efficient response to the expensive needs of staff that managers have often taken on — from project management and time-tracking software to performance management tools and staff engagement surveys. But something is missing and I’m not convinced the cost-savings are showing up on the balance sheet.
Employer branding, recruitment specialists, quarterly salary reviews, snack drawers, health and fitness budgets, and perks, perks and more perks — employers are spending more than ever to attract and retain talent. But does it work? Does anyone stay at a company because the beer fridge is stocked better? At the end of the day, people work for people. Employees want to feel a connection. They want to feel valued and safe. When all things are relatively equal, an employee will stay because of a great leader and leave because of a bad one.
When all things are relatively equal, an employee will stay because of a great leader and leave because of a bad one.
This is where management comes in. The role of the manager used to be about supervision and ensuring that employees were doing the tasks assigned to them correctly and in a timely manner — the thinking being that employees would try and get away with less if they could. These days, those people are the exception rather than the rule and are often a product of their environment.
In the knowledge economy, I believe there is a more valuable role for a manager to play. Instead of oversight and instruction, today’s great managers provide support and empowerment. They clear the path for their team to do their best work. They isolate the signal from the noise to eliminate distraction. They translate the vision of leadership into the day-to-day actions of the ‘doers’ (and for most ‘doers’, there is little better than not having to sit through yet another status meeting…). Although the middle-managers of yesteryear are (rightfully) dying out, the role can still provide significant value by empowering teams, emphasizing goals and targets, and ensuring that employees understand how they fit into the big picture.
Managers can still provide significant value by empowering teams, emphasizing goals and targets, and ensuring that employees understand how they fit into the big picture.
So what does a great manager do that is different? First of all, they get to know their team on a personal level. They build trust by learning what motivates each person and help to build a plan around that. Great managers have a high EQ and are motivated to build a team that gels well and consistently delivers quality work. They criticize in a supportive and constructive manner and stand up for their team whenever necessary. They have a natural talent for engaging and motivating people, are reliable and consistent, and value integrity above all.
To be clear, someone who excels in a technical role does not necessarily translate to a great manager. Great managers know that their job is to coach and they hone these skills while hiring for expertise in other areas such as marketing or data analysis.
I don’t want to suggest that there aren’t other great organizational structures that don’t include managers — there are. But don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater. A great manager can produce consistent and exceptional results for your business and help cultivate the kind of environment employees will think twice about leaving for a better snack drawer.
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