If you’re a people manager, do you think your direct reports like you? Yes? Here’s a quick quiz to see if that’s true. Ask yourself if you think your reports would say the same thing to you as they do their peers. In other words, are your employees simply agreeing to whatever you say, not questioning you, and then turning around to badmouth you or quietly quit?
If a tingly sensation just went up your spine, you might be saying “well geez Jeff, now I think my team hates me!” Settle down, dear reader, it’ll be okay. I’ve got your back.
According to a 2021 study by The Predictive Index, there are a handful of core skills managers should have in order to earn their employees’ trust. They’re simple to say but hard to put into practice. The top 5 skills employees value from their managers are confidence, effective communication, honesty, ability to delegate tasks, and asking for feedback.
As you can see in the simple horizontal bar graph, confidence is the top skill employees want to see. They want to know their manager has the strength and will to have their back, protect them, and give them clear guidance. That’s a key differentiator, in my experience, between people who are great managers and those who struggle. If you aren’t confident, you’ll let yourself and your team down.
On a related note, if you can confidently communicate, you’re on your way to being a truly impressive manager. A good example here is during strategy planning. You need to clearly explain where you’re going, why you’re all going there, what it’ll take to get there, and what everyone has to do. If you can confidently and clearly explain this, you’re in good shape. But boy is it hard to get right.
In third place with 28% of the responses, we have honesty. This means that employees want their managers to be straight shooters who have a code of ethics and are willing to challenge the status quo. That’s no simple task but, if done well, can inspire your team for the long-term.
The ability to delegate tasks and not wanting to be a hero is the next key skill managers should have. After all, what good is an amazing team if you’re hogging all the work or not sure who should do what? True leaders “delegate and celebrate,” I like to say. In other words, you distribute work well and give credit to those doing that work.
If you’re a confident leader, you’re comfortable getting feedback. In fact, you may actually crave it. That’s because your employees know (usually) what they want and what they want you to do. You just need to ask in a safe and friendly manner. This could be through anonymous surveys, ad hoc polls, or a more formal annual feedback survey. Ask for feedback and don’t take it personally, don’t try to correct someone’s opinion, and simply listen and absorb.
What other manager skills should be on this list? Share your thoughts with me at @ScaledOps on Twitter or on LinkedIn anytime!
