This is the third and final part of a three-part series debunking common HR and workforce-related myths. Read part one here and part two here.
Myth: HR isn’t responsible for manager enablement
Bust: Managers are the number one driver of employee retention, engagement, and performance, and HR is very much responsible for enabling them.
Strategic HR leaders know how critical it is to invest in managers. For example, 60% of HR leaders said leader and manager effectiveness was their top priority for 2023, according to a survey by Gartner.
Employee performance and manager effectiveness are inextricably linked. Engaged employees contribute more, help make their teammates better, and produce higher-quality work. In fact, 15Five’s 2023 Manager Effectiveness Survey found that 67% of employees reported working harder for a manager who cares about their growth as a professional.
To drive manager effectiveness, you need to enable managers with the right expectations, learning opportunities and tools for continuous improvement. Some of the ways you, as a strategic HR leader, can deliver on this include:
- Partner with your CFO—The CFO is a key person to have in your corner as you approach any strategic initiative, including launching a manager enablement program. This person is often the difference between whether you secure the budget you need or not.
- Build a business case—To secure leadership buy-in and maximize your chances of success, you’ll need to be able to show the impact of manager effectiveness and how improving it can drive business results. Executives will want to see that improving manager effectiveness aligns with other business priorities, and you’ll want to enlist this group to rally the rest of the organization around the cause.
- Measure manager effectiveness—Before you can improve manager effectiveness, you have to be able to measure it. You’ll find yourself spending a lot of time and money on the wrong things without data and insights about where your managers are and the specific areas that need work. Look for a tool that helps you assess and visualize which managers are excelling and which need support in particular areas, thus allowing you to take action before issues can impact the business. A holistic view of how effective your managers are, how they impact business metrics, and what you can do to help them improve is crucial.
- Improve manager effectiveness—Once you have a mechanism in place to measure manager effectiveness, you’ll want to build an enablement program that improves their effectiveness. That program should integrate continuous, experiential learning and growth opportunities that are built into managers’ daily work.
Some of the core areas of manager effectiveness that your learning and development programs should address are:
- Strengths-based management
- Providing effective feedback
- Conducting effective performance reviews
- Creating a psychologically safe workplace
- Setting and tracking goals
- Intrinsically motivating employees
- Demonstrate impact continuously—By tracking progress and showcasing tangible results to the executive team, you’ll solidify the credibility of your initiative(s) and build momentum for ongoing improvement. Regularly report on the impact made to keep all stakeholders informed and invested in the effort. Since we know this contributes more broadly to the business’s success, leadership will be keen to receive regular updates.
Managers are the lynchpin of a company’s success. Effective managers positively impact virtually all areas that drive organizational success, especially employee engagement, performance, and retention. You simply can’t afford to not invest in them. Powered by a tailored approach based on your specific business needs, the right tools, and actionable data, HR leaders can develop more effective leaders and drive measurable business impact through manager enablement programs.
About The Author
Adam Weber is the Executive Coach of Adam Weber Coaching and the former Chief Evangelist at 15Five, the performance management platform that drives business results. He also hosts the popular HR Superstars podcast.
Previously, he co-founded Emplify (an employee engagement measurement platform) & Bluebridge Digital (a mobile app platform) and sold the companies in 2020 & 2016 respectively. He is the author of the Amazon best-selling book on leadership and culture, Lead Like a Human. In 2020, Adam was named to Business Insider’s list of Rising Stars in HR.
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