This is an Encore Episode of #WorkTrends
Sponsored by Workhuman.
Today we are diving into the essential skills of great management. A survey of over 1000 Americans by Zeti found that the top qualities of a manager were honesty, positivity, trustworthiness, supportiveness, and decision-making skills. Another survey by Microsoft revealed that an authentic, empathetic manager leads to higher job satisfaction, engagement, feelings of belonging, and intent to stay at the company.
For example, 88% of employees with an authentic manager feel a sense of belonging compared to 63% without one. Today we answer this question, how can one be a manager that everyone wants to work for? Our guest, Ron Ricci, will help point us to the answers.
Meet Our Guest: Ron Ricci
This week, I’m thrilled to welcome a long-time friend of TalentCulture, Ron Ricci. Ron is the founder and CEO of The Culture Platform, the foremost data-based system to measure, manage, and magnify organizational culture.
With more than two decades of experience in leading large teams, Ron is an expert voice on management best practices. Previously, he held multiple senior leadership roles at Cisco, where he managed more than 5,000 employees.
Because he is so passionate about helping managers succeed in what he calls the “post-everything” era, I know Ron has a wealth of ideas to share. So let’s get started!
The Anatomy of a Great Manager
Welcome, Ron. What did your successful career at Cisco teach you about being a great manager?
I knew I was only as good as the people on my team — so to attract the best people, I needed to be a great manager. And to be a great manager, I learned that I had to be really good at setting clear expectations for people.
Being a manager is probably the toughest job in any organization. You sit between leadership’s expectations and your people’s expectations. That’s why it’s critical to be a strong expectation-setter.
Factors Affecting Managerial Success
Why do so many people fail in management roles?
I think this happens for two reasons:
First, being a manager is hard because it involves human-to-human communication. It takes a lot of courage to be a great manager. You have to tell people the truth. You have to follow through on your word. You have to hold people accountable.
So folks fail because they don’t understand how hard it is or how to develop an effective communication style.
Also, I think companies contribute because they’re often very inconsistent in how they act and behave. We’ve all seen it. Companies start a project, then stop it. They launch an initiative, then they don’t fund it. They don’t measure things consistently. Or they don’t have a calendared process to hold people accountable.
Managers need to challenge their company to do better. If companies operate more consistently, managers can do a better job of helping people see future opportunities and move in that direction.
Unsung Heroes
I really feel for anyone who is a manager these days. We talk nonstop about employees and leaders, but managers are left behind…
Good point, Meghan. Over the past few decades, organizations have emphasized leadership and over-invested in employee engagement — and it hasn’t gotten us anywhere. Meanwhile, we’ve under-invested in manager training and development.
We have to stop doing something to do something else better. We have to decide that the manager role is more important. We need to help managers improve how they set expectations, so their employees fall in love with their job and kick ass in whatever their role may be.
In my opinion, this is 20 years overdue.
The Manager’s Toolbox
I’m glad you offer a resource called The Manager’s Toolbox. What’s inside?
Rather than over-emphasizing technology, the toolbox focuses on developing the human-to-human communication process every great manager needs. It’s based on three elements:
1) How to align company priorities with a job role.
2) How to measure something people are doing so you can communicate with facts.
3) How to set priorities and make sure you measure things in a consistent way across the organization so there’s no ambiguity.
You can’t really replace this kind of communication with technology. It’s a process.
To get a copy of The Manager’s Toolbox, send an email request to Ron at TheCulturePlatform@gmail.com. Also, visit The Culture Platform anytime for details about the company or to schedule a demo.
To Learn More About How to be a Great Manager
For more insights into how to be a great manager, listen to this full podcast episode. And be sure to subscribe to the #WorkTrends Podcast on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.
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