The makeup of the labor force, the economy, and the culture are constantly changing. What worked well 10 years ago (or even yesterday) might not be the best approach for today.
So what does it take to be a great manager today? First off, great managers today flex, adapt, and are in tune with what is going on in business and their associates. They work hard to make their associates successful. Here are four more ways to be a great manager today:
- Be strategic. Great managers survey the current landscape, look at what this means for the future and communicate how their associates can best contribute to their role. They help their associates make the connection between where the company or department is going and what they need to do as an individual contributor along the way.
- Make the time for ongoing discussions (coaching) to help associates stay or become engaged. There seems to be a lot of fear and apprehension in the workplace today about what is going on in business and in everyday life. To help associates stay productive and not let that fear derail them, great managers connect with individuals on a regular basis to find out what is important to them, review goal and activity progress and help them move forward.
- Show Flexibility. One-size does not fit all. Flexibility in all approaches are extremely important in our diverse workforce. Schedules, responsibilities, and expectations all need to flex to get the most and best out of each person. Great managers review current processes and rules to make sure they are not barriers to future success – for the team and its members.
- Communicate. It’s amazing how the same message to a group of people is “heard” so differently. For each audience (whether 1 or 10) great managers carefully plan and practice to capture the right tone and words. The Corporate Memo is overdone. Today great managers use a variety of media when possible, including teleconference, web-conference, live meetings, small groups, or a mixture – to fit the needs of their group.
These four approaches work no matter what the economy is doing as long as you believe that the best way for you to succeed is to help your associates succeed. Great managers of today help others be ready to contribute tomorrow.
What are some of the things you do to make sure our associates succeed? Let us know in the Comments section.
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