How can we up-skill and be the best Manager and Leader we can be?
Let’s listen to the thoughts of an experienced Mentor and HR Specialist, and a Psychotherapist, Trainer, and Mindful Compassion Coach.
Andrew Penker Chartered FCIPD, Founder of xsectormentor in conversation with Angie Cameron, Psychotherapist and CEO of Direction.
Our challenge
Hot of the press – In their ‘State of the Global Workplace Report 2023’, Gallup feature their annual findings from the world’s largest, ongoing study of the employee experience.
“59% of people are ‘Quiet Quitting’ 18% are ‘Loud Quitting’. Only 23% are ‘Thriving’ at work.
The real fix is this simple: “Change the way your people are managed.”
How do you become a better manager?
If you’re honest with yourself, how well do you really listen?
Managers need to be better listeners, coaches, and collaborators.
How do we do this?
Great Managers help colleagues learn and grow, recognise their colleagues for doing great work, and make them truly feel cared about. In environments like this, workers thrive.”
You probably know this already but what knowledge and skills do you need to implement this?
- Emotional Intimacy is key
Our connections at work enable us to create a sense of belonging and act with humanity.
To connect, Managers need to provide emotional support, show they care, share openly, and not just hear but really listen and we mean really listen. Not in a quick rushed call but with true quality. Managers also need to consider how they are taking a non-judgemental approach with their colleagues and becoming more vulnerable at work. We know this isn’t easy to do though to be the best you can be, you need to be open to this.
Mentors can provide a sounding board to help managers explore how to do this effectively. Mentors help up-skill Managers who really want to develop and grow.
- Self-Awareness
As a Manager, assess how you display the following at work using a scale of:
1= I do not display this behaviour through to 4= I consistently display this behaviour at work:
- Supportive Challenge – do you demonstrate a balance between the levels of support, encouragement, and challenge with your colleagues and can you adapt this balance to different situations and with different people?
- Vulnerability – we are not talking weakness or fragility here but rather emotional exposure. Do you demonstrate the ability to express and expose, in words and behaviours, who you really are and what you genuinely think and feel?
- Compassionate – Do you focus on establishing, and developing relationships at work that enable those you manage to feel valued, respected and cared for, so they can reach their potential and do their best work?
- Authenticity – are you true to yourself and the principles that guide you?
- Empathy – Do you take a genuine interest in the people around you and how they feel about their work. Do you understand their point of view especially if different from your own. Do you understand how to inspire them?
- Values and Ethics – Do you share a common set of values with your colleagues and do your role-model these values consistently every day?
- Emotional Intelligence – Do you and your colleagues have levels of accountability, open communications, and what could be termed trusting relationships?
Become a better version of yourself.
Your score will indicate a starting point of self-awareness. For Managers to become better versions of themselves and engage their colleagues, they also need to consider:
- what they don’t say and do, as much as what they say and do,
- how they act and get support for their actions, and
- how they communicate.
How people feel about how they do their work and how they are managed and led, is as important as the outcomes they strive to achieve.
“Vulnerability is not winning or losing; it’s having the courage to show up and be seen when we have no control over the outcome. Vulnerability is not weakness; it’s our greatest measure of courage.” Brené Brown
Find out more by visiting: www.xsectormentor.com
