What is the “Magic of Managers”?

Managers are not merely traffic directors or timekeepers, they are the architects of a thriving work culture. They are entrusted with responsibility to oversee a department—a group of employees, physical and financial resources, customer relationships and a strong set of core values—and to effectively handle these responsibilities so that the organization can serve employees, customers, and the community in ways that improve life for all. 

An exceptionally good manager creates an environment in which those around them want to work hard, be productive, be effective and contribute to the success of the organization, and their fellow employees. They develop a team that is aligned, engaged, committed, accountable, and willing to go the extra mile to deliver outstanding results. Good managers provide the following magic for your organization:

• Visionary guidance that aligns individuals’ efforts with organizational goals
• Empowerment of employees
• Mentorship and support
• Facilitation of effective collaboration and communication
• Resource management and tactical execution grounded in the organization’s strategy
• Adaptability in the face of change

Why do managers fail?

Managers walk a fine line in overseeing operations, managing stress, encouraging team members, communicating with their team, reducing barriers to success and effectively utilizing the resources entrusted to them. Move too far away from these responsibilities and the team wanders aimlessly, develops poor behaviors, fails to produce and harms relationships with other departments. Move too deeply into these responsibilities and the team feels micromanaged, unempowered, untrusted and begins to just go through the motions of doing what the manager tells them to do. Either of these directions creates negative ripples of psychological distress among the team and escalating costs that can have long-term repercussions.

What often causes managers to fail is that they were never trained to manage. Because of the lack of manager training and development, the organization deals with varying and inconsistent results from teams. 

Investing in managers will be critical to your organization’s success. Reach out to kevin@goodleadership.com to learn more about how Good Leadership can create magic with your managers.