{"id":433,"date":"2013-01-20T09:01:13","date_gmt":"2013-01-20T09:01:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thecolourworks.com\/engage-or-die-part-2-the-role-of-the-manager\/"},"modified":"2022-03-30T13:04:49","modified_gmt":"2022-03-30T12:04:49","slug":"engage-or-die-part-2-the-role-of-the-manager","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thecolourworks.com\/engage-or-die-part-2-the-role-of-the-manager\/","title":{"rendered":"“ENGAGE OR DIE” Part 2 – The Role of the Manager"},"content":{"rendered":"

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

\"\"Following on from the Part 1 of our ENGAGE OR DIE series, the second enabler identified by the Engage for Success Taskforce to bring about greater levels of engagement at work in the UK, (and subsequently personal, organisational and national fulfilment of potential), is ‘<\/strong><\/span>Engaging\u00a0Managers‘<\/strong><\/span>.<\/h3>\n

For those who have simply stumbled across Part 2, the ‘Key Enablers’ identified by the Engage for Success Taskforce are:
\n1. Strategic Narrative
\n2. Engaging Managers
\n3. Employee Voice
\n4. Integrity<\/p>\n

In this article, we explore what this means and what you and your\u00a0organisation can do to develop leaders and managers capable of increasing\u00a0engagement levels.<\/span><\/p>\n

KEY ENABLER 2: <\/strong><\/span><\/span>ENGAGING MANAGERS<\/h3>\n

It\u2019s hardly surprising that this should be a Key Enabler, is it. Indeed, it could be said that an Engaging Manager is precisely one who offers Strategic Narrative<\/span><\/a>, ensures Employees have a Voice<\/span><\/a>, and acts with Integrity <\/span><\/a>at every step.\u00a0However, what is absolutely clear is that leaders and managers have the most critical part to play, and the greatest responsibility, in encouraging full engagement from\u00a0their employees. We all know that it is their<\/strong> behaviour that sets the agenda for the culture of an organisation. \u00a0Yet, we also know the oft-cited statistic that 80% of people who leave a job do so not\u00a0because of poor pay or lack of advancement opportunity, but because of a poor\u00a0relationship with their boss,<\/strong> s<\/span><\/strong><\/span>o how come we continue to get it so wrong and accept\u00a0poor leadership?<\/p>\n

Let’s investigate.
\n<\/strong><\/h3>\n

1. Engaging Managers can come from <\/strong><\/span>any possible colour combination.<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

It always seems sad to me to think that managers have always previously been\u00a0managed and therefore presumably thought about how they would like to have been managed better, yet seemingly fail to learn from that experience. As soon as promoted, they seem to believe that they\u2019ve got to change, to adopt more of a stereotypical \u201cmanager\u201d style, to wear the mask of authority. Whilst there may be\u00a0good reasons for this belief \u2013 it is stereotypical after all and some organisations\u00a0promote and reward a \u201credder\u201d style of leadership<\/a> (e.g. quick, decisive, controlling,\u00a0capable of making hard decisions and whip the department\/team into shape<\/a>) \u2013 it is,\u00a0of course, a huge mistake. Not used to behaving in this way, these managers\u00a0struggle to use this Fiery Red energy in a mature and positive way and soon lose the\u00a0trust <\/a>of their people, whilst simultaneously suppressing their natural leadership\u00a0talents.<\/p>\n

If we are to develop good leadership<\/a>, surely it has to be on the understanding that it\u00a0can come from any colour combination of preferences, all of which bring both\u00a0strengths and possible weaknesses to the role:<\/p>\n

So, if you\u2019re in the business of appointing managers, identify the person\u2019s natural\u00a0strengths and encourage, praise and reward those – don\u2019t try to mould them into\u00a0something that they\u2019re not. People should be promoted to positions of management\u00a0and leadership <\/a>because of their emotional intelligence<\/a> \u2013 their ability to get the best\u00a0out of themselves and others at all times \u2013 not their technical ability.\u00a0And if you\u2019re a manager, regardless of your colour preferences<\/a>, you\u2019re absolutely fine\u00a0as you are. Don\u2019t make the mistake of believing you must fit the someone else\u2019s\u00a0stereotype of what it means to be an effective manager. Your people will be more\u00a0engaged by you if you stay true to yourself.<\/p>\n

2.An ability to engage others depends on one\u2019s honesty and <\/span><\/strong>authenticity<\/a>.<\/strong><\/h3>\n

The largest survey of its kind, by Kouzes and Posner in 2003, asked 60,000\u00a0employees from public, private and not-for-profit sectors what attributes they\u2019d most like to see in their leaders and the top answer by far at 88% was the word \u201chonest\u201d.<\/h3>\n

By this is meant a lot of things \u2013 a person who gives honest feedback<\/a>, who tells it like\u00a0it is, who follows through on what they say they\u2019ll do, who is fair and consistent in\u00a0their treatment of others. But underpinning all of these, it\u2019s a person who is honest\u00a0about themselves, warts and all \u2013 a person who is unafraid to acknowledge that they\u00a0struggle with some things and need help, that they\u2019ve made mistakes in the past (and\u00a0probably still will), that they sometimes get carried away and may be misinterpreted,\u00a0that they have real human emotions too!<\/p>\n