6 Reasons Why Your Managers Are Failing

I'm gonna cut to the chase.

I've observed for many years a cyclical epidemic. Managers who don't know how and are not managing ...and are not helped in any useful, sustainable way.

And so...it continues.

As a business owner, senior leader or HR professional, if you've experienced this on any level I want to help you diagnose why.

Now, I don't want to insult your intelligence. Perhaps to you the 6 items below are obvious and you've sought help and just haven't found the right resources to fully fulfill your needs. I'll address that in a minute.

You can read the full text here: https://www.joanncorleyspeaks.com/2019/10/6-reasons-why-your-managers-are-failing.html

The 3 Esteems to Highly Productive Teams

Focus: Team Management, Performance Management, Management Success

Audio lesson: 3 mins. 20 secs.

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The 3 Esteems of Highly Productive Teams     

Transcript - print now

Wc: 535

Read time: 2 mins.

Here’s a useful concept to know as a manager or supervisor to understand what it takes to have a highly productive team. I’ve coined this The Three Esteems.

As I traveled across the country working with teams, nurturing and developing managers and leaders, it’s been very apparent to me that one of the things we talk about a lot is self esteem. We know people as individuals need to have it to be a happy and functioning.

So what about “esteem” as it relates to teams being happy and functional? I’d like to add a couple of other esteems that need to be present to be able to have high functioning teams. I’ve coined these The Three Esteems.  I believe there needs to be three esteems in place in order for a team to function at a high performance level. 

First: every team member needs to have their own strong healthy self esteem: that means they like themselves - they feel comfortable in their own skin.

Number two: every team member needs to have good work esteem. What’s work esteem? Work esteem is how someone feels in the context of their role and their job. It means they like what they do at some level, they enjoy the job functions of their role, they feel like they are actually contributing to the greater good and they have a sense of accomplishment in their role as well.

Finally: the third esteem is team esteem. Team esteem can be defined as every team member feels like as a group they are able to meet collective goals and that as a group they are able to function with a productive rapport.

You know this doesn’t mean they necessarily have to love each other and be crazy about each other, but it does mean that there is a healthy respect among each team member and that they are able to work together productively in order to get their outcomes collectively as a team. It’s having the knowledge and appreciating the fact that the goal(s) could not have been met in the way they were met, unless everybody was present doing their part.

So there you have it, what I call the three esteems to a high performance team. Again its self esteem, work esteem and team esteem.

Let me suggest as an action item that you as a manager begin to monitor where you see each of your team members related to the three esteems. In fact, I suggest that you put together a survey of some kind to get a sense of how they feel. It might comprise something as follows:

 -questions about their own self esteem (you can do it on a scale of one to five with five being the highest.)

-questions regarding how they feel about their job functions and how they feel about their work esteem

- and also their team esteem as well (this will gauge their perception of whether the team can and is working together.)

That information could be very telling and very useful as you work to cultivate a high performance team and a healthy team culture. Good Luck!

If you want more tips and strategies on who to be a more effective manager - then you'll want to get the book - The 1% Edge - Power Strategies to Increase Your Management Effectiveness - both in workbook form or on Kindle.

You can also get the companion app, available on all smart phones: click here to learn more about the app.

Manager as Developer

Manager As Developer - Enhancing the Role of Manager in the 21st Century Workplace

Focus: Management Success, Management effectiveness

Audio duration: 3 mins. 01 secs.

-Read along with the transcript below or print and read for later.

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Manager as Developer

Enhancing the Role of Manager in the 21^st Century Workplace 

WC: 436

Transcript - print now

Have you ever thought about the connection between management and photography? I love photography.  I actually developed that love from a friend who had a dark room in his apartment.  I particularly love black and whites and I had the opportunity to acquire a cool camera to express that new found love. 

The bonus to knowing this friend?...I got to be in the dark room and watch the pictures I took develop.  I loved the process of watching what I had seen and captured through the lens slowly come into full view in the chemical wash. 

I see management in the 21^st century workplace in a similar way.  These days, just supervising the activities of employees doesn’t seem enough to meet ever changing business needs and to maintain our company’s competitive edge.  The need to retain talent, the different generations and levels of maturity that comprise our teams members call for a kind of management that can make the most of everyone’s capabilities. 

That’s where the role of developer comes into play. My old trusty friend Webster defines develop as follows: to make visible or manifest, to work out the possibilities, to cause to unfold gradually.  My favorite from that list is “to work out the possibilities.”  

As we exercise the role of developer, how satisfying would it be to nurture and facilitate in an employee what’s possible; perhaps a needed characteristic that, up until our involvement, was weak or nonexistent? 

And there in lies the connection between photography and managers who develop.  We get to look for and identify what’s possible, then take a snapshot of what we see and help that characteristic, talent, or skill come into existence. 

What a great opportunity to exert leadership.  I just bet there will be many times in which we’ll be able to see what’s possible when a team member does not.  That, by the way, is having vision, seeing for them, seeing when they cannot.  We can move from manager to mentor and what a meaningful and satisfying place to be. 

I recommend that time be taken to assess what’s possible and needed to develop for each team member.  Next, sit down and talk with each of them about what you see in them; share your vision. Then, ask them what they see and together begin to create a plan to realize that vision. 

A final note: there is an additional benefit to this experience. Besides going from manager to mentor, you’ll also enhance your relationship by adding the qualities of collaboration and partnership.

Learn more about  The 1% Edge Portable Coach - App or go right to the website: http://www.the1percentedgecoach.com/

To bring a management training or related topics to your organization - click here: 

Going Beyond the Job Description

Focus: Competencies, plus the job description = success

Going Beyond the Job Description – Competencies are Essential

Wc: 425 – Audio duration: 3 mins. 34 secs.

“profits and growth are about performance and performance is about people – performance is behavior.”

Focus: Management Success, Professional Success

Audio Lesson - Duration: 3 mins. 21 secs.  

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Transcript

Business is really about two things: knowledge and behavior. This may sound strange, but when you think about it, a business cannot exist without pertinent knowledge and behaviors that generate desired results.

So what’s essential to the success of any company?... a conscious determination of what knowledge and behaviors are absolutely necessary (critical success factors) from each contributor for that particular business to be successful.  The behavior piece can be defined in two parts:  skills and competencies.

A skill (the capability to do something well) is usually framed and needed in the context of a job description. Example: someone who has the technical knowledge to create a blueprint of a house.

A competency relates to qualities and capabilities beyond the job description…the make-up of the person in the job (e.g. characteristics/traits, attitudes, beliefs, values, motives, character, emotional maturity, relational effectiveness) and how those elements influence how a job is done.  Example: a customer service employee who is has the emotional maturity to be self-controlled when dealing with a challenging service call.

The examples above are representative of a skill and a competency.  As an effective manager you need to know both, how to distinguish between the two and how to determine them for your role and the roles you are responsible for managing.

Also two additional items of note:

1. Each element (skill and competency) both contribute to the profitability of a company.

2. You’ll rarely find competencies, such as emotional maturity, on a job description.

One can see that in order for a business to stay competitive and profitable three critical assessments need to be made:

1.  A determination of those behaviors needed for the success of the business.

2. A determination of where contributors are in possessing those needed behaviors.

3. A plan to close the gap where needed -

            a. via training and coaching

            b. replacing a contributor with someone who is a better fit.

So the question would be what are the competencies needed in your particular role and that of each of your team members?

Remember, a competency is the way in which the job is done…the qualities of the person who is doing the job.

Action: Make a list of competencies or qualities that are needed for you to do your job successfully.

Then do so for the roles of those you manage.

Next, determine the gaps and incorporate those in your coaching and performance management plan.

This will go a long way in helping to increase the performance of your team and thereby increasing the profitability of you company.

Applying C.P.R. - Not the Medical Kind

Focus: Employee Motivation, Performance Management, Management Success

Audio Lesson  - Duration: 3 mins. 21 secs.

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Applying C.P.R
Read time: appx. 2 mins.
Wc: 487 
Transcript - print now 

In this bite-audio lesson we’re going to be introducing a coaching and communication philosophy called C.P.R. That’s right C. P. R. Now I know you’ve heard of it in a different context – that is in the medical field, but it’s also a great technique and philosophy for managing a team and building great rapport with your employees.

So, what does CPR mean? CPR stands for – Compliments, Praise, and Recognition. Again - Compliments, Praise, and Recognition. Now there are three elements to applying, or administering CPR in the most effective way.

Those three elements include the following:

First,  you’d like for your CPR to be timely. That is to administer it at a time when it’s going to be the most meaningful. I don’t think it’s nearly as meaningful, or perhaps even motivating, to give someone a compliment six months, maybe a year out from when something was actually accomplished. So timely is very important.

Secondly, you want it to be specific. It’s very important to remember that when you give specific feedback, you’re actually reinforcing the desired behavior – both on a conscious level and also on a subconscious level. So you want it to be as specific as possible.

And then finally you want to be able to share some benefits of the behavior, the action or the outcome. So consider the benefits to you, the team, or even the company as you determine what benefits you want to share.

Here’s an example of how CPR might be applied. Sue’s an employee who is asked to compile quarterly sales figures for a client meeting. Sue took on that responsibility with a great attitude, and in fact the report was handed in on time, looked visually appealing, the numbers were laid out in such an effective way that it was very to read, and in fact made the client meeting go much smoother than expected.

As a side not, there are many cases throughout our workday when those kinds of things happen and the opportunity to apply a little CPR is missed. Sometimes it’s in the little things that actually have the biggest and most significant impact.

So here’s how a CPR conversation might go – “Sue, I really appreciate the work you did on that report. It was handed in on time, it looked great visually, and the numbers were laid out so well that the client meeting went much smoother than expected. Thanks again for a job well done. We all appreciate it – there was a lot less stress because of your work, and it helped to reinforce a good rapport with the client. Thanks again!

It’s amazing how just a little CPR can go such a long way. So I want to encourage you to begin to look for opportunities to apply a little CPR to your team.

Supporting lesson(s): Are you making deposits?, Managing is Conditioning

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Enable vs. Empower - Which Do You Do?

Focus: Management style

Audio Lesson - Duration: 2 mins. 20 secs.

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Enable vs. Empower – Which Management Style Do You Have?

Transcript - print now 
Wc: 285

Read time: 1-2 mins.

Today, in our bite-size audio lesson we’re going to talk about two different management styles So, I’ll begin by asking, in your management style are you more of an “empowerer” or an enabler.

Ok, what are those two, and then, how are they manifested? First of all, an empowerer is someone who relates as a manager in a way that helps their employee or their team members actually become competent in doing what they need to do. So they might provide the proper resources, provide the proper coaching; help them work towards the decision versus telling them what to do.

An enabling manager is one that keeps an employee from developing their potential. A great example of that is a manager who does not delegate to an employee. Delegation helps an employee to develop, perhaps, a new skill set, a new sense of responsibility around a particular area.

                                                              

Enabling means that we help someone continue in the behavior that actually we really don’t want! So let me ask you, in your management style, are you more of an enabler or more of an empowerer?

                                                              

Now, I know, sometimes, that’s in context. We may be one in one context and one in another. But what I’ve found is most managers have a tendency more towards one than the other, and sometimes, that’s based on personality type as well. 

                                                              

However, for our bite-size tip for today, I’d like for you to consider which one you have a more natural propensity towards, being an enabler or being an empowerer and then consider how you need to adjust your relating style to get the outcomes you really want.

What the Heck is Management? - Are You Doing it?

Focus: Defining management

Audio duration: 2 mins. 02 secs.

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What the Heck is Management -  Are You Doing it?

Transcript - print now

WC: 233

Read time: 1-2 mins. 

In order to find out the answer to this pressing question, I went directly to Webster’s – my ultimate source in definitions. Here’s what I found:
Manage is defined as follows: to handle or direct with some degree of skill…

Ok to handle or direct what – specifically?

Which brought me to wanting to gain a deeper understanding of the word skill … here goes: skill – the ability to use one’s knowledge effectively and readily in execution or performance - learned power of doing something competently: developed aptitude or ability.

Alright, there you have it. Managing is using knowledge effectively, readily, competently, from a developed aptitude to handle or direct…AND THERE IN lies the rub.

How many managers actually have knowledge, competencies and a developed aptitude? And ….how many managers really know what they are handling and directing.

Hey if you’re a manager reading this, I’m on your side! This is yet another case for management training. Here’s my tip as it relates to this information:  I recommend you develop very precise answers to those questions.

I know that in many industries these days, those answers are moving targets – even more the reason to stay on top of them. Those answers are the keys to you being effective in your role. By the way, those answers may not even be in your job description…hum…

New Roles for Managers

Focus: These roles probably aren't in your job description!

Audio: 4 mins. 14 secs.

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5. Remember, the audios are loosely scripted to sound more natural.

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New Roles for Managers

Wc: 495 
Transcript - print now

As the challenges of the 21^st century workplace are changing, so is the role that a manager plays. In order for a manager to be competent and effective in today’s workplace a greater knowledge and understanding of an enhanced definition of manager is required.

Here are three functions that a few years ago, a traditional manager would not have had to be concerned with.

Function 1: A Coach and Developer

For all intense and purposes the traditional type of leadership has changed. (Though in my travels I am surprised discovered that in many companies this style exists; but to their detriment.) In the 40’s & 50’s the most common form of leadership was command and control. I define it as, “I think, I tell you, you do.”

Due to the dramatic change in workplace make up – more women in management, newer generations, and the arrival of the dot com era, that leadership style proved to be ineffective in meeting those specific needs.

What has proven more successful if a style of leadership – management role of coach? The coaching style of management comprises as element not found in command and control and that is development.   When a manager is developing an employee they are helping that person grow in their capabilities to enlarge their capacity to contribute to the organization. This is quite beneficial in the long run, as the company’s return on investment for every salary dollar spent increases.

Function 2: Career Advisor

These days, with job descriptions and performance needs ever evolving managers with hiring authority have got to be able to hire the team members that are the best fit. And the definition of best fit goes way beyond can they just barely do the job. But additionally, how well will they work with the team, can they be flexible and adapt as new demands surface or does the job type match their personality. It takes an informed manager to be able to make those decisions in collaboration with their Human Resource department.

Function 3: Teacher

This is perhaps the most unique of the three. Here’s a shocking statistic – the average American reads at about a six grade level.  No matter what strata, however, when we hire we make assumptions about capabilities. In reality, every person who walks through our corporate doors on some level needs to continue to learn, as does the manager. So continually educating our team members on a variety of professional needs serves them, you, and the company. In the long run, this could eliminate or at least greatly reduce many headaches. The mantra – “keep educating”. 

One manager I met in my travels has a book of the month club for his team. They collectively choose topics that will improve the performance of the entire group. What a great idea!

I suspect that these three functions may not appear on many job descriptions, yet they are critical to the success of managers in the 21^st century.

The Management Dilemma - Do You Really Want to Be One?

Focus: Management Success, Professional Success, Career Planning

Audio Lesson - Duration: 4 mins. 41 secs.

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     your hard drive for continuous listening or to transfer to your mobile device for portable learning.

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The Management Dilemma - Do You Really Want to Be One?

Wc: 648

I recently ran across a staggering statistic the other day. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, there are 6,000,000 plus employees in the country who hold the title of manager (and that does not include those who hold the title of supervisor).

I’m going to guess that of those, very few laid in bed at night as little tikes saying, “Yes, when I grow up some day, I want to be a manager!” 

So, I’m going to make a bold proclamation right here, right now and say that there are millions of people slaving away in cubicles or in the lucky office with the window that REALLY don’t want to do what they’re doing.  But, they have to – they have no choice…really.

No choice? Well they do and they don’t. With the typical (and I believe antiquated) career path design present in most companies today… “have to” is real if a career is to be built and more money is to be made.

The inevitable need in the structure of any business is to manage it. Every component of a business needs to be attended to so the outcomes can be attained.

As business has evolved over the years, various components have come and gone. There use to be the need of managing a typing pool (some of your reading this article probably have no idea what that is)…boy, those days are long gone! Now there’s a need to manage the networks that connect the computers that replaced the typewriters.

One element of managing a business that has never gone away is that of managing the people who function in the context of the many business components. Managing the people is a needed role that I call the “default role” in business.

Why default? It’s my belief that many managers do not really want to be a manager per sae. They are managers by default. They were good at executing key functions and that qualified them to oversee other people who were doing those functions….whether they could actually oversee them effectively or not.

In many cases this has presented some challenges. Many of the skills necessary for effective oversight are outside the scope of what they were good at before. And, many were asked to move into this role without:

-identifying key skills necessary to be competent in the role

-determining their own level of competency of those skills

-and then acquiring training to fill the gaps.

Sound familiar? Well over the past several years, I’ve discovered this very fact as I’ve traveled across North America conducting management and leadership workshops.    I learned that only a small percentage of that six million have adequately been trained to be competent in this essential business function.

The irony?....this role impacts EVERYTHING!!!...yet it doesn’t get the attention it deserves.

In truth, this role is so essential, that the way it’s viewed and treated needs to be elevated to that of a profession. Ok...think about that last statement….a profession…not a pseudo profession, not a default role, but a REAL profession.

Now I know there are people out there that do, even if unconsciously. But I believe that the vast majority of employees in the work place today do not consider the role of management a profession and for some not even an admirable one. I know there are plenty of reasons for that.

Let’s collectively as a management community elevate the game so to speak. Even if you are a “manager by default”, professionalism can still be your mantra. This lesson is all about making a conscious decision..."yes I want to be a manager..not I have to...but I WANT to." 

Honestly, if at some point you really can't say that with heart....then it's time to start lookin' for another job.

Are You a Parent or a Manager?

Focus: Management Success, Management Insight 

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Are You a Parent or a Manager?

Wc: 365

Transcript - print now

I bet there’s been a day or two when you have thought that or felt that way. When I conduct a management training workshop, sometimes I’ll ask, “How many feel like you left the kids back at the office.”…..many people raise their hand.

Here are two issues related to parenting that would be useful to be aware of, if you are a manager:

Issue #1: How you were parented influences how you manage. That might sound odd, but its true. Your experience and conditioning in the context of authority and power as a child have all been recorded in your subconscious mind. When you are put into that situation again, now with you as the authority figure, what will you naturally draw on to direct your behavior?....the resource or reference point already developed in your brain, your pre-mapped experiences. What’s important to realize is this is not necessarily done on purpose or consciously. You may be quite unaware that this is even happening. 

In fact how many of you have said, “I will never be like that when I grow up” and then find yourselves acting the same way in certain contexts the same as your parents…see?

Now, depending on the kind of behaviors, reactions and responses you want to have as a manager those pre-mapped experiences might serve you well…or not. 

What’s important?...be aware of them so that you can determine on purpose the kind of behaviors you want to have as a manager.

Issue #2: If you are a parent at home, sometimes those same relating styles get exhibited at work. Again this not necessarily good, bad, right or wrong, it’s just important to be aware of this and determine what’s useful or not.

In the case of moms for example, “mom behaviors” in excess can prove to be harmful. For example: being over protective of a team member, doing for them rather than helping them do, being too controlling vs. realizing they are adults with adult boundaries….etc.

Tip: Try to identify what of these two areas are currently influencing your management style/ behaviors and determine what’s useful and what’s not. Then take steps to adjust them.

Manager as Developer

Date: April 30, 2012
Editor's Notes: I will be previewing over the next few weeks management training- coaching lessons that will eventually be included in the new Mobile Training & Coaching APP for managers and individual contributors committed to their own professional development.

If you are interested in being the first to know about it's release - email me at - joann@trainbymobile.com, and I'll put you on the list.


Focus: Management Success

Enhancing the Role of Manager in 21^st Century Workplace

Audio duration: 3 mins. 01 secs.

Double click arrow to LISTEN NOW:  

-Read along with the transcript below or print and read for later.

-Right click the MP3 FILE link MP3 File download and "save as" to your hard drive to access off-line for continuous listening or to transfer to your mobile device for portable learning.

-For additional lessons use the Search Box (top left).

-Remember, the audios are loosely scripted to sound more natural.

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Manager as Developer – Enhancing the Role of Manager in 21^st Century Workplace 

WC: 436

Transcript - print now

Have you ever thought about the connection between management and photography? I love photography.  I actually developed that love from a friend who had a dark room in his apartment.  I particularly love black and whites and I had the opportunity to acquire a cool camera to express that new found love. 

The bonus to knowing this friend?...I got to be in the dark room and watch the pictures I took develop.  I loved the process of watching what I had seen and captured through the lens slowly come into full view in the chemical wash. 

I see management in the 21^st century workplace in a similar way.  These days, just supervising the activities of employees doesn’t seem enough to meet ever changing business needs and to maintain our company’s competitive edge.  The need to retain talent, the different generations and levels of maturity that comprise our teams members call for a kind of management that can make the most of everyone’s capabilities. 

That’s where the role of developer comes into play. My old trusty friend Webster defines develop as follows: to make visible or manifest, to work out the possibilities, to cause to unfold gradually.  My favorite from that list is “to work out the possibilities.”  

As we exercise the role of developer, how satisfying would it be to nurture and facilitate in an employee what’s possible; perhaps a needed characteristic that, up until our involvement, was weak or nonexistent? 

And there in lies the connection between photography and managers who develop.  We get to look for and identify what’s possible, then take a snapshot of what we see and help that characteristic, talent, or skill come into existence. 

What a great opportunity to exert leadership.  I just bet there will be many times in which we’ll be able to see what’s possible when a team member does not.  That, by the way, is having vision, seeing for them, seeing when they cannot.  We can move from manager to mentor and what a meaningful and satisfying place to be. 

I recommend that time be taken to assess what’s possible and needed to develop for each team member.  Next, sit down and talk with each of them about what you see in them; share your vision. Then, ask them what they see and together begin to create a plan to realize that vision. 

A final note: there is an additional benefit to this experience. Besides going from manager to mentor, you’ll also enhance your relationship by adding the qualities of collaboration and partnership.

Manager as Coach - Active vs. Passive Management

Focus: Management Success, New Management Roles

Double click arrow to LISTEN NOW:

-Read along with the transcript below or print and read for later.

-Right click the MP3 FILE link: MP3 File to download and "save as" to your hard drive to access off-line for continuous listening or to transfer to your mobile device for portable learning.

-For additional lessons use the Search Box (top left) or the Download Library (top right).

-Remember, the audios are loosely scripted to sound more natural.

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Manager as Coach

Active vs. passive management

Wc: 179 

Transcript - print now 

The most effective relating style I’ve seen is that of coaching.  In its purest form, a coach is described as one who tutors, instructs or trains; one who instructs players in the fundamentals of a competitive sport and directs team strategy.  The action verbs included above paints a picture of a manager who is proactive, consciously involved with a team member or for our discussion an employee.   

I believe to have highly productive teams; teams need managers who are coaches, who are strategically active in facilitating targeted outcomes.
So ask yourself:    

-    Do you see yourself as a coach?   

-    Have you adapted that role in your mindset?

-    Do you demonstrate a coaching relating style when working with members of your team?

-    Do your team members feel “coached”, parented or dictated to?  

I recommend that you create a plan on how you will develop the qualities associated with effective coaching.  It’s not only a good career management strategy, but also could help avoid or address some negative team challenges. 

Managing is Conditioning

Focus: Management Success, Performance Management, Management Insight

Audio Lesson - Duration 1 min. 22 sec.

1.....Double click arrow to LISTEN NOW:

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MANAGING IS CONDITIONING

Wc:141

Read time: 30 sec.

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Say what?...yep it is! This is an important management insight. Every time you interact with your employees, you are giving them information about yourself…what you like, what you don’t like, how you’ll respond to their behaviors, what you will tolerate and what you won’t tolerate...or and I hate to say it, what they can get away with.

This is critical to recognize. Why? There may be times when an employee is not performing the way you’d like.   One of the reasons?....you’ve allowed it and the employee knows it, because in the past you’ve responded to that performance in a way that communicated that they could get by with it – whether you intended to communicate that or not. The result?...they’ve been conditioned into poor performance.

Yikes! I know that’s not pleasant to hear, but that’s the reality of human behavior.

Remember, we are consciously and unconsciously communicating to and thereby conditioning our team members each time we interact with them.