Supervising: Nurture Don't Boss People Around
Ron Wastyn, Ph.D., Vice President, Chief Operating Officer, and Senior Leadership Consultant,
Wastyn & Associates, Inc.
Often we hear that “people quit bosses and not jobs.” Stories abound about toxic work environments where every move gets scrutinized, people need permission to make a doctor’s appointment or take a stretch away from their desk. People have even forgone vacations for the sake of the boss. These stories exist in both the for-profit and nonprofit sectors. Amid the great post-COVID resignation, we must reconsider how we manage others for our organizations to thrive.
I think the road map for effective management comes in how people conceptualize authority. People who manage others receive that authority from the organization. How people handle this authority provides the recipe for their failure or success – and the success or failure of the organization. Try thinking more like a teacher that nurtures others.
Ron Heifetz and Marty Linksy, authors and consultants, maintain that employees look to people in positions of authority to provide authority three elements: protection, direction, and order. Daniel Pink, who writes about motivation, found that successful employees have autonomy, mastery and purpose.
We must provide order for employees, so they know what to expect; how we do this becomes critical to creating an organizational culture in which people feel respected and trusted. We must protect our employees from internal and external threats, again while we respect their autonomy. Can you provide purpose to employees? Purpose gives them an understand the “why” behind the organization.
The question for managers becomes: Can you provide these elements with a sense of emotional intelligence – an awareness, control, and expression of one's emotions – and an ability to handle interpersonal relationships judiciously and empathetically?
If you hired well, then manage with dialogue; discuss your needs and theirs. The command-and-control apparatus must remain in the past if you want to create a workplace that thrives in today’s competitive environment. Shred yourself of the conception that managers exercise power and authority, so that people fear and respect you. Some may fear you, but they will only tolerate you until they get a new supervisor or find another job. You also do not need to have all the answers. Your employees also have the needed answers to organizational problems. Partner with them to find solutions.
Finally, good management does not mean political correctness, softness, or wokeness. Instead, it means that you work smart and understand the limits of your authority and what drives people to perform.
So, if you start thinking like a teacher and adopt a nurturing attitude you will engage and develop people who will commit themselves to you and the organization.
Join this conversation to learn other ways to effectively manage others by attending some of our Organizational Development workshops where we go into more detail on ways to supervise that create a winning organizational culture.
Some useful links:
Daniel Pink Ted Talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rrkrvAUbU9Y&t=68s
Marty Linksy TedX Talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=af-cSvnEExM