The secret to your company’s success

Take a moment and list the most critical roles in a business...Founder/CEO, Heads of Growth, Technology, Finance, People & Culture, Legal…what is missing?  Your managers. Every single one of them. Why?

A manager is like the conductor in an orchestra. They bring the vision and goals to life by directing, coaching and guiding their team. They help the whole orchestra be greater than the sum of its parts. And at the end of every performance, the conductor acknowledges and celebrates the orchestra for their success. It’s like a giant jigsaw puzzle, slowly put together piece by piece until the image arrives when the last piece is placed.

Being a manager has become significantly harder since COVID. Employees increasingly don’t want to just keep their job, they want a job with meaning and purpose. They don’t want old-style command and control bosses. They want leaders who coach them, inspire them and regularly communicate. 

Gallup’s “It’s The Manager” book confirms that great leaders maximise the potential of every team member and drive your organisation’s growth. They give every one of your employees what they want; a great job and a great life. 

Here at Nine Yards, we work closely with managers every day. We guide them to have conversations where we can see gaps, coach them through difficult situations, and help them navigate the complex Australian employment landscape.

We also help them understand what a successful manager does and what they’re responsible for. While different companies might describe a manager’s responsibilities in different ways, our starting point in these conversations is to refer to Google’s Project Oxygen.  This was a massive research project that confirmed the following eight attributes in their most successful managers:

★    Be a good coach

★    Empower your team

★    Show interest in your employees’ success and wellbeing

★    Be productive and results-oriented

★    Communicate well

★    Help your employees with career development

★    Have a clear vision and strategy for the team

★    Have the technical skills so you can help advise your team

Each of these eight areas requires a deep level of skill that we love helping to develop. Whether it’s targeted coaching or group sessions, we’ve developed impactful programs to get your leadership skills to the place your team wants.

 So, if you’re a leader, we thank you for juggling so many hats. If you're a leader of leaders, check in on them to see how they’re going, and ask them ‘is there any extra support I can give you’? If you’re an employee who aspires to be a leader, grab a copy of Gallup’s It's The Manager. It’s a great read and will give you insights into your future role.