How to produce managers who make a difference

This article is written by Denise Grant, Public Servant and Legal Assistant at the Ministry of the Attorney General, Canada.

The views of this author are their own and do not represent the views of Ministry of the Attorney General.

• The problem: Why are so many government employees not working to their full potential and experiencing the boost to self-confidence that comes with functioning at their full potential? Does the answer lie in leadership?
• Why it matters: The days of promoting high-performing employees into management have ended. Governments require a new approach to recruiting managers and leaders on all levels. Employees are feeling stuck in a pattern of behaviours which no longer serve them or governments, while managers might be in the same boat.
• The solution: Seven secrets on how governments can train and develop great managers. Since the Covid-19 pandemic, some public servants are trying to get back to business as usual, while others (myself included) are demanding a new path in the workplace...

Gallup research reports that 70% of US employees are not showing up to work fully committed to delivering their best performance; and 52% of those workers are basically sleepwalking through the day, while 18% of them are busy acting out their unhappiness.

For years public servants have been requesting the need to “reverse this crisis”. What is needed are great managers at all levels of government who understand human nature and how to motivate and inspire employees with diverging needs.

I decided I was no longer waiting for managers to wake up to the needs of my role and the team.

Have traditional government management recruitment practices become outdated for an evolving workplace? What qualities are required for successful managers in the government to motivate and inspire employees into thriving, more productive workers who create a welcoming community?

Seven secrets to producing successful managers

Over the past eight years, I have had well-intended managers, however, they lacked the ability to meet the needs of team members and appeared to fear providing relevant feedback, and as a result, I did not see the benefits of their leadership.

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Google Manager Sarah Calderon has shared Google’s new training and development secrets intended to produce great managers.

1: “It’s a mistake to think a high-performing individual contributor should necessarily be promoted to management.” Instead, there are different skill sets to look for when hiring internally.

1. Look at how someone works with others
2. How they get things done
3. Do they adjust their style to the people they are working with?
4. Do they clarify roles and responsibilities for team members?
5. Can they provide feedback in a meaningful way?
6. Do they enjoy managing?
7. Do they like the relationship aspect of dealing with different people and personalities?
8. Do they like meeting the needs of others?

2: “The best time to train new managers is a few months into the job… after they have had their ‘nose bloodied’ in a real-world management setting.”

Once a leader has identified the existing employee who has demonstrated the qualities listed above, provide a few basic resources for the first few months. Next, leave them to manage the team for a couple of months prior to putting them through formalised management training. This will allow them to acquire an understanding of what the job is and encounter the real challenges in the role. Then introduce formal training. If training is provided too early, starting can be a theoretical exercise and ineffective.

3: “Don’t overwhelm new managers.” Consider what new managers require in the first six months then give them just what they need so that they can understand and remember things learned to avoid burnout. After six months, build on this. For example, Calderon says to focus training on these areas:

• Providing feedback
• Being a good coach
• Developing a growth mindset (a culture of learning for the individual manager and for their teams)
• Developing emotional intelligence (awareness of both yourself and your team). This includes helping managers to know their own triggers so they can take on challenging situations with self-awareness

I recall an uncomfortable meeting I had with three managers and myself. During the meeting, I broke down in tears. Why? The problem was that I was in a meeting with my manager, supervisor and deputy director by myself. That was enough to make me feel vulnerable, which obviously triggers emotions. Calderon states that to do an uncomfortable meeting well, managers must know how to manage themselves and their emotions first.

4: “Training isn’t the only way to support your managers.” At Google, Calderon points out that “managers learn from one another a lot”. Peer coaching is encouraged to give one another feedback and colleagues work together to improve day-to-day performance. The emphasis is placed on creating a “culture of learning, practice, feedback and reflection.”

5: Give managers the feedback they need to get better. Annually, ‘Googlers’ fill out a survey on their manager's performance to provide them with feedback. To determine what makes a good manager, areas you could include in a survey are:

• Do managers matter in government?
• If managers matter, whom do you need to convince and how?
• What makes a great manager in government?

Recently, I found the courage and applied for an internal lead role. I soon discovered I did not stand a chance. I didn't even get called for an interview despite my demonstrated leadership qualities which I have acquired both inside and outside the office.

Despite not getting this lead role, I took further action and confronted managers on their practices that were ineffective for the team. I decided I was no longer waiting for managers to wake up to the needs of my role and the team. I took on a project and cleaned up the piles of closed files in the hallways. I volunteered to assist my colleagues with their overwhelming workload. And I took the lead, created and offered solutions to problems in the backlogged areas of my work. However, nothing caught the attention of management in a positive way.

I add two additional secrets of my own:

6: Employees ought to receive self-awareness training to understand how to identify their triggers.

7: Employees should receive training on how to identify good managers and how to confront bad managers.

These seven secrets are essential if governments are to pursue a new approach to motivate and inspire leaders and employees. I’ve made a difference in my team – now how will you?

Done reading? Make sure to share your own tips by leaving a comment below ⬇️

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