High-up boss to middle manager: “The sales numbers from last quarter are terrible. You’d better turn them around!”
Middle manager to team supervisor: “Get your team on the ball. No excuses. We need higher sales numbers.”
Team supervisor to sales execs: “You people better turn this around. The numbers better go up next quarter!”
Trickle down intimidation instead of explanation. It never works well. Why do so many managers–at all levels–use it?
One of the most important roles of a breakthrough results manager is that of translator, and it’s the first Karin Hurt discusses in her course Results that Last: 7 Roles Every Manager Must Master for Results that Last.
A translator takes a situation and helps his/her team understand why things are going the way they are. They turn the above conversation into dialog and solution-seeking, not blame. Just like you may need a translator to communicate with someone who doesn’t speak your language, you need a manager to translate rationally what he or she is hearing from the “top.”
In addition to that, a manager must be a builder–someone who strengthens each team member and gives them confidence to know they can indeed “turn this around.” This takes time, patience, and a desire to provide opportunities for training, mentorship, and insightful dialogs, not just barked commands.
Next time you are leading someone, pretend they don’t know the language and compassionately explain the situation–what you need, and more importantly, WHY you need it. Then build them up with the resources they need to be able to come back and say, “We did it!”
Then you can say, “I knew you could.”
Take yourself–and your team–through this course. Click below. for more information. You can also take the free 5-day challenge offered at the link to become a better manager in just one work week!
Pingback: How to Be An Ambassador for Your Team - Beth Beutler