How to Support Your Managers in 2021

Published on

January 14, 2021

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What Are The Most Impactful Things You Should Be Doing To Support Your Managers in 2021?

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BetterManager has coached and trained over 3000 managers and leaders from more than 100 different companies in 10 different languages across the world, and those numbers are growing every quarter. Our leadership team is dedicated to Elevating the Human Experience in the workplace, because employee engagement has been demonstrated over and over to be the biggest driver to increase employee satisfaction, recruiting, retention, and productivity.

Here are the most impactful things that our leadership team believes you must be doing for your managers and leaders right now and throughout 2021:

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‍1) COMMUNICATE

Acknowledge the pain brought by the current times. Share your experience, show some vulnerability, and take the time to listen. Step back, paint the picture of the future – a better future – and communicate the steps you and they are going to take to get there. Focus on those steps, and celebrate every success along the way. - Stephane Panier, BetterManager CEO

2) ENGAGE YOUR THOUGHT PARTNERS

During challenging times like this, managers can use “thought partners”. One benefit of coaching is that you need to articulate your thoughts based on powerful questions from your coach. "What will this feel like for the team?" "What do you think will get in your way?" are some really effective examples. Then, together, you can brainstorm and choose the actions that will have the most impact. - Wendy Hanson, BetterManager COO‍

3) TAKE THE TIME TO GET TO REALLY KNOW YOUR STAFF AS INDIVIDUALS

Do it in a very engaging and organic manner... and have some fun too. I find list building to be a cool thing. Half business and half outside of it. For example: "What’s your favorite thing to do when you're not working?" "What is your favorite dish?" "What leaders inspire you?" "Where do you most want to visit?" On the biz front, open-ended queries can be very effective: "Tell me one thing I could do to ensure you're more successful at your job?" "If there's one thing you think your company could do to make this world a better place, what would that look like?" By engaging with your stuff individually you create a better rapport by getting to know them better as a person, showing a true me interest in them, and at the same time helping you to become a better leader! - Gary Millrood, BetterManager Strategic Advisor

4) ASK QUESTIONS

Ask questions and then be ready to really listen to what your managers are saying and not saying. For example, “What’s going on for you right now, not only in your role at work but overall during these crazy times?” Make sure you are picking up on body language and facial expressions on your video calls that may offer cues to what they are not verbally saying. “You seem a little stressed right now – what’s going on?” More than ever, managers need allies they can trust to open up to with issues they need help with. This starts with getting them to feel psychologically safe to be open up and get real on the issues they need to work through. - John Topping, BetterManager CRO

5) ENCOURAGE, INSPIRE & PROVIDE HOPE: BE AN EXAMPLE!

Listen to them! What’s said and unsaid, their fears and apprehensions. Focus on supporting their well-being (health and wellness) by providing training, resources, and keeping an open dialogue. - Dawnet Beverley, BetterManager Executive Vice President

6) RECOGNIZE THE INDIVIDUALITY OF YOUR EMPLOYEES AND SUPPORT IT

Not only does this create an accepting environment, looking for, finding, and shaping that individuality keeps you mentally flexible. Determine the context of a situation while determining the facts - context may provide the bridge to understanding the facts. Engage your fellow employees and watch for social cues that tell you who they are, so you can reinforce the positive aspects of their work and lives. - Dr. George Woods, M.D., BetterManager Advisor

7) REINFORCE THE MANAGERS OF YOUR REMOTE TEAMS

Managers are the oxygen for their teams. As we move closer and closer to the beginning of our second year of lock-down, be aware and sensitive to the fact that your managers are facing challenges sustaining the remote management of their teams. The tools and processes that were put in place six plus months ago might need to be revisited to ensure managers are getting the support they need to “sustain” what is likely to be a longer term remote management mode of working. In turn, managers will increasingly need longer-term personalized one-on-one support and development that recognizes and takes into account their own personal challenges both inside and outside the workplace. - Chris Wells, BetterManager Vice President EMEA

8) MAKE SURE YOUR CRM/MARKETING/COMMUNICATION TOOLS MEET YOUR ORGANIZATION'S PRACTICAL NEEDS

You must strive to find the right balance between standardization and customization for your leaders and managers, especially during times of fast growth and change. Plunging Sales Managers and SDRs into overly complex CRMs can impede performance and morale, while sacrificing complexity might prevent the C-Suite from getting the reporting features they absolutely require. Knowing what can (and can't) be customized and having a great training/support system keeps your tech working for you and not the other way around. - Oliver Waller, BetterManager Marketing Director

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