Page 135 - How America's Best Places to Work Inspire Extra Effort in Extraordinary Times

122B RE-ENGAGE

critics of senior leaders because they are frequently caught between a
rock and a hard place trying to manage their direct reports without
the knowledge, direction, training, and resources they need to do so.

If you are a manager and would like to evaluate your own
level of engagement, we suggest you take the self-engage-
ment inventory referenced in Chapter 10 by going to www.
re-engagebook.com.

: DESPITE WHAT DILBERT SAYS, GOOD MANAGERS DO EXIST

Yes, good managers do exist. You may have been lucky enough to have
had one or two yourself. It’s just that there aren’t enough of them to
go around. Here is a sampling of the positive general comments about
direct managers and supervisors that capture the kind of loyalty and
commitment they can inspire:

: “Our boss is an inspiration. I could not imagine working for any-
one else, ever.”
: “I know that I can always turn to my immediate supervisor if I
ever have any problems, knowing that he will do what he can to
make the company a better place to work. He will always go out of
his way to make sure that we, as his employees, are happy.”
: “My office manager is the best. She is a very caring person and
genuinely concerned about her staff. She knows how to make me
feel appreciated. She knows how to give constructive criticism.
When I do extra things she asks, she always says thank you.”
: “The only down side of working for such a great boss is that I’m
afraid I won’t like working for anyone after him.”

: WHAT MANAGERS DO TO ALIGN AND ENGAGE

Those survey respondents lucky enough to have good managers were
not reluctant to express their gratitude. As you read the comments,