Leadership teams at the highest level within companies agree culture change is a high priority to continue to grow and be competitive in their respectful marketplaces. However, the trickle-down effect required to ensure such changes are implemented and effective, tends to lie solely on the shoulders of management teams. With a whopping 75% of employees quitting their job citing “management” as their reason for leaving, the need for management engagement becomes even more important.
Leading a team can oftentimes feel like an exercise in futility when stress is high and demanding deadlines loom. The resulting stress begets the same trickle-down experience from management to employees as engaged leadership does. In an organization of any size, the goal should be creating a work environment where people can be creative, utilize their expertise to the betterment of the whole, and find a healthy balance between work and home. Achieving such goals needs to start at the top and work down. These practices are the catalyst for culture change and positive engagement scores.
Ensuring your management teams are engaged and creating an environment for employees to grow and thrive is essential for companies to achieve their goals. In today’s ever-changing marketplace, companies need a solid brand and definable culture to entice the best and brightest to join their ranks. Working to create such an atmosphere is something requiring time, attention to employee needs/concerns, and oftentimes a retraining of managers at every level within the company. Many companies have implemented new strategies to improve employee engagement and satisfaction with programs like, employee mindfulness sessions, in-house gyms or yoga studios, nap areas, smoothie bars, etc., in the hopes to create a more supported, well-rounded employee in an environment conducive to creativity and productivity. Unfortunately, when asked, employees agree that if they don’t see their management team taking advantage of these offerings, they feel as if they shouldn’t either as it appears to be a waste of time or a hinderance to deadlines.
On a positive note, managers who changed their behavior and modeled sustainable work habits and practices saw a spike in both employee engagement ( up to 55% ) and satisfaction ( up to 77% ). These managers not only had a greater employee retention rate, but also when hiring, had more qualified candidates referred by current employees. These managers also became sought after candidates at other outside organizations due to their engaged management practices.
How can high level executives ensure their managers have the skills necessary to become engaged themselves? The answer is simple: provide positive management training practices similar to those you expect your managers to provide to their employees. Having routine coaching sessions, goal discussions, growth opportunity assessments, as well as management skills trainings all provide a sense of appreciation, encouragement, and development that can take a manager from stuck to successful.
Imagine a CEO who makes time to mentor his down-line managers in practices such as coaching, feedback, and time management. This individual believes in the “work smarter, not harder” principle and encourages his leadership teams to do the same. He is regularly seen leaving the office a reasonable time and encourages his teams to follow suite. He schedules monthly sessions with his downline to discuss career goals and opportunities for both growth and improvement. He focuses on learning his employee’s personality types and finds constructive and meaningful ways to interact with them on a genuine level. He’s known for listening to suggestions from all members of the team and has a proven track record for rewarding innovators for the value they create within the organization over the people who seem to stay late daily, but never grow or improve.
Given this scenario, put yourself in the place of a mid-level manager. The support and skills provided to you on a regular basis give you the confidence to lead your team in a similar manner. Your reputation and work value increase making you a sought-after manager for other employees besides your own team and gives you the foundation to grow upon to begin a steady climb to upper management positions in the future. You celebrate your employees’ subsequent success and witness your company taking a greater market share in your industry. When asked why you’ve stayed with the company for so long, does the answer, “I’ve been given tools for success,” seem reasonable and authentic?
Every organization needs engaged managers who inspire equally engaged employees and Frontline Leadership Training has the tools your team needs. Contact us today to learn more about our leadership engagement programs and discover firsthand how engaged managers can catapult your business to a new level of success.