Because managers carry more responsibility than any other position in most offices, their personal development is sometimes forgotten. Over time procedures can become routine, and managers can unconsciously begin to derail. How can your leaders become effective managers?

June’s Profile Advantage newsletter provides information that you can implement in your organization to improve performance at every level.

We are excited to show new research on current management issues, available now at www.ProfilesResearch.com. Spend a minute or two completing a survey and you will have access to the latest report from months of research from real managers facing common, and some not-so-common, workplace challenges.

Featured Report

What is Performance Management?

A well-known company that opens its doors to the public every day recognizes its employees for good performance by prominently placing their photographs in the lobby display case. Each photograph is accompanied by a biography of the employee. The employee also receives an extra paid day off, a gift certificate to a favorite restaurant and a convenient reserved parking place for the month. This reward system exemplifies one of the four crucial building blocks of performance management that is effective in combining recognition and reward, although it is too often overlooked. Other elements in the system of managing individual performance are just as essential. If any one block is omitted or neglected, it has the same effect as an architect leaving out a key step in the construction of a building: It will not be as sturdy. The four key strategies important to managing performance are:

1. Planning
2. Monitoring & Feedback
3. Development
4. Reward & Recognition.

Let’s examine how you can set each of these building blocks in place.

Planning – Set clear goals for your organization and your employees. Everyone from the secretary to the CEO should know what is expected of him or her. In setting your goals, you can create a mission statement for the overall company, but you must also be sure your employees know their job duties and performance goals.

Monitoring and giving feedback to employees – Making plans and setting goals will do no good unless a supervisor monitors employee performance regularly, giving clear feedback when necessary. This feedback should include both praise and constructive criticism. The key is to “catch” your employees in the act of doing well and praise them immediately or correct a mistake right away and in the right way – constructively and privately.

Development – Leaders give workers the ability to do their jobs through skills training and other resources. Think of this as giving someone careful directions and a road map to arrive at the destination on time and without mishap. Development has a broad meaning, and your managers should think of creative ways to develop employees to grow into their jobs and climb the ladder.

Reward/Recognition – Although rewards need not be given daily or even weekly, they are important to the process and cannot be overlooked. A reward can be expressed as a simple “Good work!” or as detailed as the recognition scenario presented earlier in this article It can include increased compensation or a promotion. You should be creative and match the reward to the performance.

While you might consider performance management a baffling practice requiring training to do well, you can achieve it by ensuring the four key strategies are in place. Your efforts will result in high-performing workers who know what you expect and have the abilities and resources to accomplish it.

Ultimately, your organization will reap the rewards. In a study of 100,000 employees of 2,500 organizations, the Gallup Organization recorded the attitudes of employees at work in highly productive groups. These attitudes are directly related to the rate of employee turnover, customer satisfaction and productivity. Employees in such work groups reported high levels of agreement with the following statements:

• I know what is expected of me at work (planning).
• In the last six months, someone at work has talked to me about my progress (monitoring).
• I have the materials and equipment I need to do my work right (developing).
• In the last seven days, I have received recognition or praise for doing good work (rewarding).

Are these the kind of statements your employees would make? If not, you now have the building blocks to make it happen.

Source: U.S. Office of Personnel Management

Case Study

Alleviate management derailers to become a better manager

Because managers carry more responsibility than any other position in most offices, their personal development is sometimes forgotten. Over time procedures can become routine, and managers can unconsciously begin to derail. How can your leaders become effective managers?

There are three symptoms a derailing manager may possess: resistance to change, inability to deliver expected results, and inability to see beyond their own functional silos. It is crucial to treat each of these symptoms immediately in order to ensure that the manager and organization stay on track and continue to be productive.

Derailer #1: Resisting change

A manager “at risk” of derailing due to resistance to change may exhibit some of the following behaviors:

• Expresses frustration at the suggestion of change
• Is preoccupied with reminiscing about “what was” versus “what will be”
• Continues to do things the same old way yet expects new results
• Discomfort with ambiguity and lack of openness to discovering better ways of doing things
• Team members complain about mixed messages from leadership and their manager

There are several ways to remedy this manager’s resistance. The first step is to understand the manager’s appetite for change. People are “wired” differently, and this influences our appetite for risk and challenge. Some find change exciting and embrace it, while others find it threatening and reject it. A balance of both is healthy for an organization. Knowing how someone will respond to change helps you tailor your communication and get him on board.

A second way to assist a manager is to help the manager understand his natural aversion to change. If a manager has a natural tendency to resist change, then it is important to make him aware of this tendency. This will enable him to develop his own way of helping himself adapt to change. When possible, have him think through the process for you so that you can demonstrate how the change will benefit both the organization and the individual.

Finally, when trying to develop a manager resistant to change, ensure that the manager is focused on the new priorities. There are many ways to communicate change, but words are not enough. You need to translate this change into meaningful actions and goals for the manager, and then you need to inspect what you expect. Ask the manager and his people what they believe the manager’s priorities are, especially after a change event. This reveals disconnects and opportunities for realignment.

Derailer #2: Unable to deliver expected results

Another type of manager with potential to derail is one who is unable to deliver expected results. If the manager in question meets these symptoms, they are “at risk”:

• Results are consistently below goals, especially those that are measurable
• Manager blames others or makes excuses for his own failure
• Manager avoids discussions about setting, tracking, and progressing toward goals
• Manager spends too much time, energy, and resources on low-priority activities
• Team is unaware of how they contribute to the manager’s or organization’s goals

To “cure” this type of management, first clarify the expected results and goals. It is difficult to hit a target when the target is moving or you’re shooting through fog. Don’t assume that your managers have a clear understanding of the results they need to achieve and how they’re going to achieve them. When possible, go beyond the “what” to the “how,” and challenge the manager to translate goals into sub-goals and activities that must be achieved.

Next, attempt to understand the manager. Not everyone is naturally goal oriented. For those who aren’t, the notion of setting, tracking, and achieving goals can be extremely intimidating. This is especially true of new managers in roles where measurement is difficult. If the manager fits either of these criteria, then expect to spend more time coaching him so that he can achieve his goals. When possible, include him in the goal-setting process to get his buy-in.

Finally, inspect what you expect. Once goals are clear and you have the manager’s buy-in, establish a process for tracking the most important goals. Use these goals to create a personal “dashboard” that helps the manager set his own priorities that drive results. Require the manager to update his goals weekly, and use his progress to facilitate a coaching discussion. Finally, check back with the manager on a periodic basis to ensure that his priorities are properly aligned.

Derailer #3: Missing the big picture

The final type of manager with potential to derail is a manager who cannot see beyond their own functional silos. Symptoms of a manager “at risk” of derailing include:

• Unwilling to communicate or collaborate with others outside of his unit
• Makes decisions that benefit his unit but clearly hurt the overall organization
• Resists change that impacts him but clearly benefits the organization
• Hoards information that might benefit others outside of his unit
• Co-workers complain that the manager is out of touch with the organization’s mission

The first step in developing a manager with high silos is to establish clarity. Don’t assume that the manager understands how he and his people fit in and interrelate with other units to achieve the organization’s greater mission. This should be spelled out explicitly, especially if the manager has spent little time outside of his functional unit.

Be sure to include the manager in at least one cross-functional team. Have the manager experience firsthand what it means to contribute to a broader team and depend on others to achieve a significant common objective. Ideally, he or she should work under an experienced team leader who can provide both coaching and a positive experience.

Establish at least one cross-functional goal for the manager. While similar to the previous point, this requires him to participate in an ongoing operation of the organization rather than a special project with a defined endpoint. In this situation, the managers who share the goal should report to someone higher up who can monitor progress, facilitate discussion, offer advice, and drive accountability.

Finally, monitor the manager’s progress. This is more than just an annual performance review; it’s about holding the manager accountable, ensuring that he is aligned with the company’s priorities and changing his behavior. This is done by monitoring his progress and offering coaching and additional development. Input from multiple sources such as the manager’s managers, peers on cross-functional teams, and subordinates is valuable.

These three types of managers are more common than they should be. And these symptoms don’t just occur in newly minted managers or old and grizzled ones – they can surface at any time, so monitor your people regularly. Encourage your leaders to know how to be effective managers. Enable your organization to excel by developing your managers to exceed expectations. Don’t allow management to derail because of their own faults, teach them how to be successful in their position so that they can develop the rest of those in the organization.

Learn more

Want to know how to become an effective manager? Call your Profiles Partner for the full report on Management Derailers and learn more about management development solutions.

Building Leadership Case Study

PRI News

Problem employee?

Do you work with employees who are a pain in your side? At some point in your career, chances are you’ll be stuck with a problem employee. This new study attempts to quantify the most common challenges and the best tactics to turn such employees into more productive team players.

One of 6 new research reports from Profiles Research Institute is How to Manage Jerks, Prima Donnas, Divas and Hotheads.

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