Engaging Management. Programme for the session

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1 Engaging Management Dilys Robinson the institute for employment studies Programme for the session Reminder: why engagement matters Context: times are hard Another reminder: why line managers are so important Our research: how do engaging managers behave? What to do: supporting managers to be engaging IES HR Network : 1

2 Why is engagement important? Benefits demonstrated by research customer loyalty employee retention higher productivity positive advocacy better performance receptivity to change enjoyable work health and well-being self-efficacy It s cold out there IES HR Network : 2

3 A leadership vacuum? All organisations say routinely, People are our greatest asset. Yet few practise what they preach, let alone truly believe it. Peter Drucker, 1999 Where are the business leaders as this new mix of cultures and customer and employee relationships are being defined? Always crunching the numbers. Wilfred Meyer, Siemens Power Generation Trust determination factors in high concern situations Competence/ Expertise 15-20% Dedication/ Commitment 15-20% Honesty/Openness 15-20% Caring/ Empathy 50% (from work by Dr Vincent Covello) Assessed in first 30 seconds IES HR Network : 3

4 Trust determination factors in low concern situations Competence/ Expertise 80-85% All Others 20% (from work by Dr Vincent Covello) Line Managers The crucial, too often forgotten, players in organisational success the institute for employment studies IES HR Network : 4

5 Line managers: key players in hard times Filling the leadership vacuum Keeping things going: setting immediate targets over suitable timeframes feedback & performance management (often while formal system has lapsed) building new relationships & sharing know-how Dealing with personal & practical issues for staff Key source of upward feedback progress, issues, ideas But - line managers may also feel battered, bruised and under intense pressure Reliable, dependable and loyal IES HR Network : 5

6 Versatile, manages several things at once Engagement and harassment overall mean (3.58) none racial sexual verbal violence from from from colleagues managers clients/ customers IES HR Network : 6

7 Enabling engagement: the drivers feeling valued and involved good management & leadership interesting, ti satisfying i work with job autonomy two-way communication safety at work equality of opportunity corporate social responsibility well-being development opportunities aligned performance reward and recognition Managing to Engage How do engaging managers behave? Highlights ht from IES s research the institute for employment studies IES HR Network : 7

8 Effective communication Engaging managers communicate clearly in particular, give clear directions listen to their teams consult with their teams involve their teams in decision-making are honest, truthful and open share their understanding and learning Communicating and listening IES HR Network : 8

9 Taking an interest Engaging managers are supportive and protective display empathy when appropriate are interest in individuals in their teams develop individuals are approachable, able, visible and available are enthusiastic about their organisations and their teams Protecting team and individuals IES HR Network : 9

10 The bigger picture Engaging managers are performance focused have high expectations and standards have clear strategic vision understand the contribution they and their teams make to organisational success are not afraid to confront or challenge Understands organisation and contribution of self and team IES HR Network : 10

11 Managing teams for performance They are performance driven... There is no distance between them and their teams, which leads to higher motivation and very high energy levels. all our managers had high performing teams frequent monitoring of performance against targets good feedback to team involvement of team in improvement discussions aim high stretch targets able to evidence success Manager high performer and team little stars IES HR Network : 11

12 Delivering bad news He took a fairly direct approach. He explained why. He empathised, but made it clear that we still had to get on. homework open and honest calm and serious sensitive to individual circumstances answer questions straightforwardly, or refer give people time to reflect about impact The impact of engaging management Engagement Immediate management Feeling valued & involved Job satisfaction Team working Performance & appraisal Training & career development Coping with stress & work pressure range of mean values: other IES studies mean values: engaged teams IES HR Network : 12

13 Supporting the line: some challenges A good nurse, technician, doctor etc doesn t automatically become a good people manager when given supervisory or line responsibilities. Does your organisation recognise and tackle this? training coaching buddying 360 feedback Many training budgets have been diverted away from supervisors and first line managers. Has yours? Middle managers are often ignored, or considered a problem, yet their role is vital. What s the view where you work? Managers are people, p too they need to be managed in an engaging g g way. Is this happening in your organisation? There will always be engaging managers in any organisation, but to really embed engaging management, senior leaders need to lead by example. Are they? New leadership competencies Demonstrates an understanding of the impact of change on the organisation, team & individual Is able to set, monitor & re-adjust goals appropriate to the current environment Adopts clear communication strategies to regularly inform & receive feedback from teams & individuals Maintains a visible profile which role models a consistent, t responsive & professional approach Engages with staff, is accessible, and displays empathy IES HR Network : 13

14 IES s research into employee engagement Started in 2002 by defining and measuring engagement, and identifying engagement drivers in the NHS: Drivers of Employee Engagement 2004 Extended into other sectors and settings to test our early findings: Engagement: The Continuing Story 2007 Reviewed all the engagement evidence: Employee Engagement: A review of current thinking 2009 Most recently, investigated managerial behaviours: The Engaging Manager 2009 Currently developing a 360 tool to help managers assess and improve their people management behaviours For more information, contact Dilys Robinson at IES: dilys.robinson@employment-studies.co.uk thank you IES HR Network : 14