The emphasis on ‘Leadership’ in organisations today is great because, when done well, it can provide overall direction, inspiration and motivation; and because of this we believe the Line Manager becomes even more of a key player. What he or she does and says on a day by day basis can not only support (or indeed undermine) the Leadership initiatives, but also have the most profound effect on productivity.
Research
shows that people join an organisation for a whole host of reasons, including
image, products & services offered, pay, position, package, etc.,
etc., but the key reason that an individual stays in an organisation and
becomes productive is as a result of the way he or she is managed by his or
her Line
Manager. Some would call this part of the ‘psychological contract’ - the set of mutual expectations that, when fulfilled, cause us to feel motivated to do the best job possible.
Equally, it is important that the Manager does not run his or her ‘empire’ like a ‘baronial fiefdom’ – creating inner cliques of favourites, and thus outcasts as well! Some might call this ‘discretionary behaviour’ by the Manager.
Finding the balance is hard. Getting the best effort and productivity from a diverse group on a collective and individual basis is extremely difficult and has kept management gurus busy for many years!
So, what the Line Manager focuses on, does and says on an hour by hour, day by day basis is absolutely critical to the success of the individual and thus, when multiplied up, to the success of the organisation.
This is particularly true in times of uncertainty and major change. Leadership, vision and big pictures do need demonstrating and articulating on a regular basis – but what happens between the conferences and the away-days? The Team needs to be as continuously productive as the Manager can make it in order to create and sustain competitive advantage.
This is where we come in – providing the Manager with the opportunity to practise tools and techniques that will help him/her focus on outcomes and make him/her a more effective and balanced operator, every hour, every day.
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