How do you determine what makes a great branch manager? The results would be fairly obvious, I suspect… along the lines of have a clear vision and strategy for your team, help staff with career development, be productive and results-oriented… All standard stuff.
Well, Google found the same results but they took a more methodical approach. How many of us stop to actually analyze those performance reviews, feedback surveys, and nominations for manager awards? Google correlated phrases, words, praise and complaints. They found, through their Project Oxygen, that, for example, technical expertise was less important (indeed, dead last) than being accessible.
It would be interesting to undertake a systematic study of an urban library to see if their results would be any different from Google. Imagine the potential for strategic human resources management, including selection and staff development.
Call me if interested!
Eight Good Behaviors
Here is the list of eight good behaviors (rank ordered!) as well as three common pitfalls of managers.
- Be a good coach. Provide specific, constructive feedback, balancing the negative and positive. Have regular, one-on-ones, presenting solutions to problems tailored to your employees’ specific strengths.
- Empower your team and don’t micromanage. Balance giving freedom to your employees, while still being available for advice. Make “stretch” assignments to help the team tackle big problems.
- Express interest in team members’ success and personal well-being. Get to know your employees as peoples with lives outside work. Make new members of your team feel welcomed and help ease their transition.
- Don’t be a sissy. Be produce and results-oriented. Focus on what employees want the team to achieve and how they can help achieve it. Help the team prioritize work and use seniority to remove roadblocks.
- Be a good communicator and listen to your team. Communication is two-way: you both listen and share information. Hold all-hands meetings and be straightforward about the messages and goals of the team. Help the team connect the dots. Encourage open dialogue and listen to the issues and concerns of your employees.
- Help your employees with career development.
- Have a clear vision and strategy for the team. Even in the midst of turmoil, keep the team focused on goals and strategy. Involve the team in setting and evolving the team’s vision and making progress toward it.
- Have key technical skills so you can advise the team. Roll up your sleeves and conduct work side by side with the team when needed. Understand the specific challenges of the work.
And the common pitfalls?
Have trouble making a transition to the team. Sometimes fantastic individual contributors are promoted to managers without the necessary skills to lead people. People hired from outside the organization don’t always understand the unique aspects of managing at your agency.
Lack a consistent approach to performance management and career development. Don’t help employees understand how these work at your organization and doesn’t coach them on their options to develop end stretch. Not proactive. Wait for employee to come to them.
Spend too little time managing and communicating.
Thanks to my colleague Rob Boyd at Santa Clara University for alerting me to this article.
As Rob said: If you haven’t seen this yet, take a minute to read Google’s analysis of high-performing managers from the New York Times.
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