If managers get things wrong this will not only affect the company’s performance but also make it difficult to retain quality employees. A lot of candidates that I speak with may be unhappy or feel unfulfilled as their managers do not provide the motivation and support to progress their careers. It is not easy to understand how the future manager will conduct themselves before you actually join an organisation and are sitting at your desk. The interview process on both sides can often be a sales pitch that doesn’t give a honest reflection of the strength and weaknesses of the individuals involved. It is therefore important for candidates to look at the track record of their future managers and also understand their values and motivations for doing the job. How do they interact with the team and are they capable of turning an average performer into a great performer. Management is more about coaching now than it ever was and like top athletes professionals need this support within a workplace. We often spend more time in our workplace than we do with our friends, family and loved ones so getting things right here can have a big impact over the long term.
In my early career I was still learning about selling and had all the motivation but lacked the experience. I was lucky enough to work with a very charismatic individual who produced phenomenal results and ensured that his team were highly motivated and consistently exceeding targets. I would be often asked “are you winning”? “How does it feel to be a winner”? “How does it feel”? The banter in the office was incredible and although it was somewhat of a school playground environment may be these were the best days of my life!
To get the best out of your current situation it is also necessary to develop the toolkit and skills to manage upwards. The management process is no longer linear and successful employees will be capable of managing upwards so to manage their expectations of their superiors whilst ensuring they get the support and recognition of the achievements.
It’s amazing how much we can achieve and get done when we are inspired by the right manager.
There’s no doubt an inspired employee can do great things. The question is how do we get the manager we deserve?
Adrian Wright
Wahoo Recruitment
UK & international Executive Search
adrian.wright@wahoo-recruitment.com