Page 152 - How America's Best Places to Work Inspire Extra Effort in Extraordinary Times

The Real Job of Managers C139

— Train managers in good people-management practices and reward them
for taking the time to manage and coach their direct reports, not just for
task completion.
— Make treating people with respect and building trusting mutual rela-
tionships a living value within the company.

— Require prospective managers to undergo a careful evaluation process
to assess their suitability for the responsibility of managing people ef-
fectively before they are promoted into supervisory positions.
— Create a technical career track as an alternative for those who continue to
excel and add value but are not suited for or interested in line management.
— Create a performance evaluation process that helps to identify and reas-
sign, coach, or dismiss ineffective and abusive managers.
— Provide 360-degree feedback and developmental coaching.
— Recognize and reward the company’s most effective people managers.
— Work to assure that senior leaders are setting the right example for all
managers.

: THE FOUR-LEGGED STOOL OF EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT

In the last two chapters we have focused on the roles of managers and
senior leaders in engaging employees. But we must not lose sight of the
self-engaging role of employees in an organization built on partnership
and mutual commitment. As we read their many comments, we could
not help wondering how many were written by employees who are ha-
bitual underperformers, chronic complainers, or “professional victims.”
Our survey research and consulting experience tells us that these cat-
egories constitute generally about 5 percent of the average workforce.
We have acknowledged that not everyone can be, or chooses to
be, engaged and that even fewer can be fully engaged. The trick is for
senior leaders, managers, and human resource professionals to make
sure employees understand they are not dependent on management
for motivation while at the same time taking their full share of re-