Gold Star Managers

What do "Gold Star Managers" do that others rarely consider? Gain four easy concepts to implement. They will overcome employee disengagement, improve an organization's outcome, and strengthen your career! 

ThriveWithNancy Podcast addresses the tricky points you run into daily as a woman executive. Nancy Fredericks shares all the secrets she's acquired as an experienced thought leader. She's passionate about sharing practical, insider solutions with women executives to tap into on your way to achieving all of your career hopes and dreams.

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Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:03

As a boss or even as a potential boss, you know the weightiness of the job. Firsthand those ranking as gold star managers effectively navigate the two vital aspects of their job responsibilities, work, product excellence, and people mastery. Welcome to the Thrive with Nancy podcast. Keep listening. If you're eager to become a gold star manager, hey, and if you already are one, I bet you'll gain at least one new insight that will up your performance. And remember, since the role of manager was first advanced, today's work environment has significantly altered meaning. Your focus as a manager, what you're measured for must shift dramatically as well. These conditions are why becoming a gold star manager is critical to your success. I begin the podcast by saying there are two focuses to being a gold star manager. The first dress on your expertise, though I have to share with you, in my experience, no one has hired an executive coach to work on someone's know-how or expertise. No . The fixable gap has always been directed towards a manager's soft skills. So that's where we'll be putting our attention. The people mastery aspect. According to Gallup, disengaged employees represent 67% of the workforce and are harmful to the organization. No kidding. And that's why gold star managers employ techniques to turn these employees around . It starts with recognizing how valuable a thank you could be and using this phrase liberally because it's the right thing to do and also it produces impressive results. Please never forget the power of complimenting employees whenever possible. Doing so is a visual feel good to every contributor in the office work. Human research has found that people thanked at work in the last month are half as likely to be looking for a new job. More than two times as likely to be highly engaged, more than twice as likely to feel respected at work, more than three times as likely to see a path to grow in the organization. Wow, that's pretty significant. Also, Gallup research shows that companies who have managers who offer recognition see a 9% increase in productivity, 22% decrease in safety incidents and a 22% decrease in absenteeism. So begin thanking your employees for what they do. Well, please remember to be specific because no one receives vacuous compliments. Well, it will make your job easier as employees want to do an exceptional job for you because you recognize who they are. Your assignment is to have a meaningful conversation with your staff where you thank them or recognize their contribution. Weekly. Yes, weekly. I know that's a high bar, but just think what you could accomplish through that. By the way, you'll become a gold star manager with this commitment to employees and employees see you as way more likable. The second practice these gold star leaders tapped into is fun and unexpected surprises. Research reveals that surprise and fun trigger dopamine releases to your brain. You know, the pleasure chemical that we all so like that will turn any miserable day on its ears. With all the stressors in business environments today, a manager who can generate fun at work holds a winning lightning bolt formula that engages employees. Unfortunately, many bosses, and this may include, you don't have a clue how to achieve a fun and productive environment and never forget the impact it has in the heart of your employees by doing so randomly and unexpectedly. What are a few? As I said before, unexpected actions. You can introduce, how about renting an ice cream card and rolling it down your hallway, handing out ice cream sandwiches to everyone. There's nothing better than this. Delicious out of the blue treat to introduce hints of summer fun into the office. Or what about taking a break from a particularly naughty meeting to walk outside for 15 minutes? Not only is escaping the office to stroll in the fresh air fun, it also enhances people's creativity and productivity. Or what about showing comedy shorts during lunch with pizza or a big bag of popcorn? Hmm , buttered popcorn. Remember, an added value is that laughter or giggles releases stress, which aids employees in focusing, well, I've just given you three ideas, unpredictable, surprising, fun ideas. What can you come up with? I know you have better imagination than I do. Go for it. The third trait, a gold star manager appreciates that learning and growing through more complex work isn't a turnoff. Rather, it engages employees. These managers see it as their responsibility to nudge their staff into taking on larger projects that have them expanding their repertoire, their resume, which is good for everyone. Research by Joss Bersin , and by the way, I really like his research confirms this practice. As employees who spend time at work learning are 47% less likely to be stressed, 39% more likely to feel productive and successful. 23% more ready to take on additional responsibilities and 21% more likely to feel confident and happy. And the more you learn, the happier you become as an employee. Plus learning and growing facilitates employees recognizing where they want their career to go. According to research, again by Josh Berson , 74% of our workforce have a better idea of their future when development is a focus of their career. Wow, I love that. My fourth observation of a gold star manager is that they don't consider secret sharing as secrets, but rather as opportunities for improvement. Whenever one employee whispers a problem with another employee in your ear, deem it as you would any other project alarm system breakdown, where you immediately game plan action to ensure restoration to the system. So if one employee communicates a problem with another, ensure prompt objective exploration of the concern occurs, it is a manager's job to determine how to address it. Is it asking the reporting employee what they consider a possible resolution action? Such a response trains your employees to gain a problem solution perspective, which in fact is a leadership mentality. Or perhaps you have separate chat with both parties to gain a well-rounded view of the issue. Or maybe a solution requires rebalancing job responsibilities. So you choose a collaborative approach with group interaction. Please don't sit on the information without putting on your manager's thinking Cap secrets only grow and not in a good way. Nothing is ever resolved through silence. One of the interesting aspects of these gold star managers is that each of the four concepts are win for you as the manager, your employees, and your company. So why wouldn't you pursue these? What concept are you planning on taking on First, thinking and recognizing exemplary work. Introducing fun and unexpected surprises. A commitment to and an encouragement of learning and growing or secrets aren't secrets, but rather improvement opportunities. And congratulations for your commitment to a better work environment, your employees, and your growth as a manager. That's a good thing. You can visit Thrive with Nancy to explore a wealth of available free resources or if you're excited to create new opportunities in your career. Is it now the time to experience your personally designed strategic partnering program? It is where you and I create a full on partnership. Sign up for a free strategic call with me at www.thrivewithnancy.com/executive. You should know by now that no successful executive reaches the top or arrives at their next destination alone.